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15 <title>The Deathlord of Ixia</title>
16 <creator class="short">Joe Dever and Brian Williams</creator>
17 <creator class="medium">
18 <line>Joe Dever</line>
19 <line>Illustrated by Brian Williams</line>
21 <creator class="long">
22 &inclusion.joe.dever.bio.lw;
23 &inclusion.brian.williams.bio.lw;
25 <publisher>Project Aon</publisher>
26 <date class="publication"><year>2007</year><month>7</month><day>22</day></date>
27 <description class="blurb">
28 <p>You are Lone Wolf<ch.emdash/>Kai Grand Master of Sommerlund. Far away to the west lies the peninsula of Ixia. It is an icy, desolate wasteland that for 10,000 years has been the domain of Lord Ixiataaga<ch.emdash/>Masterlord of the Dead. Here he reigns supreme over a horde of lost souls, an undead populace who are condemned to an eternity in his service.</p>
29 <p>In <cite>The Deathlord of Ixia</cite>, you must journey to the forbidden city of Xaagon<ch.emdash/>the seat of Lord Ixiataaga<ch.apos/>s dark power<ch.emdash/>and confront him in a life-or-death battle which will test your Grand Master abilities to the limit. Will you overcome and defeat this terrifying entity? Or will you fall victim to his undead legions and the terrible new power they wield?</p>
31 <description class="publication">
32 <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>
34 <rights class="copyrights">
35 <line>Text copyright <ch.copy/> 1991 Joe Dever.</line>
36 <line>Illustrations copyright <ch.copy/> 1991 Brian Williams.</line>
38 <rights class="license-notification">
40 <line>Text copyright <ch.copy/> Joe Dever.</line>
41 <line>Illustrations copyright <ch.copy/> Brian Williams.</line>
42 <line>Distribution of this Internet Edition is restricted under the terms of the <a idref="license">Project Aon License</a>.</line>
54 <title>Title Page</title>
55 <link class="next" idref="dedicate" />
60 <section class="frontmatter" id="dedicate">
62 <title>Dedication</title>
63 <link class="prev" idref="title" />
64 <link class="next" idref="acknwldg" />
68 <p class="dedication">For Chris Smith</p>
72 <section class="frontmatter" id="acknwldg">
74 <title>Acknowledgements</title>
75 <link class="prev" idref="dedicate" />
76 <link class="next" idref="tssf" />
81 &inclusion.joe.dever.endowment;
83 <section class="frontmatter" id="credits">
84 <meta><title>Credits</title></meta>
88 <dt>Transcription</dt>
90 <dt>Illustration Transcription</dt>
91 <dd>Jonathan Blake</dd>
94 <line>Jonathan Blake</line>
95 <line>Jeff Dougan</line>
96 <line>Simon Osborne</line>
98 <dt>Action Charts</dt>
100 <line>JC Alvarez</line>
101 <line>Jonathan Blake</line>
103 <dt>Proofreading</dt>
105 <line>Robert Hartley (Sections 211<ch.endash/>350)</line>
106 <line>Timothy Pederick(Sections 141<ch.endash/>210)</line>
107 <line>Martin Ryland (Frontmatter and Sections 1<ch.endash/>140)</line>
111 <line>Jeff Dougan</line>
112 <line>Jacob Humphrey</line>
113 <line>Ingo Kl<ch.ouml/>cker</line>
114 <line>LeRoy McSwain</line>
115 <line>Simon Osborne</line>
116 <line>Timothy Pederick</line>
117 <line>Jennifer Sigman</line>
119 <dt>Coordination</dt>
120 <dd>Jonathan Blake</dd>
121 <dt>Special Thanks</dt>
122 <dd>Andr<ch.eacute/> Davidson</dd>
130 <section class="frontmatter" id="tssf">
132 <title>The Story So Far<ch.ellips/></title>
133 <link class="prev" idref="acknwldg" />
134 <link class="next" idref="gamerulz" />
138 <footnote id="tssf-1-foot" idref="tssf-1">
139 <p>There is some confusion around the use of the term <quote>Old Kingdom</quote> in this book. Although the native Ixians are often described as belonging to the <quote>time of the Old Kingdoms</quote> (<a idref="sect152">Section 152</a>), it is clear from the fact that the Deathlord destroyed them during the Age of Eternal Night that they could not have existed during the Age of the Old Kingdoms which began more than 1000 years after the Age of Eternal Night ended. (See <cite><a href="&link.tmc;">The Magnamund Companion</a></cite>, <quote>Magnamund Then and Now</quote>.) The author may have used the term <quote>Old Kingdom</quote> to refer to any humanoid nation prior to the appearance of the Shianti.</p>
144 <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 <!--ERRTAG-RE-5555--><ch.eacute/>lite<!--/ERRTAG-RE-5555--> warrior caste.</p>
145 <p>It is the year MS 5077, twenty-seven years since your brave kinsmen perished at the hands of the Darklords of Helgedad. These champions of evil, who were sent forth by <!--ERRTAG-RE-6583-->Naar, the King<!--/ERRTAG-RE-6583--> 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 and the seat of his power that was the infernal city of Helgedad.</p>
146 <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 comprised this huge army, most notably the barbaric Drakkarim, began to fight with the others for control. This disorder quickly escalated into an all-out civil war which allowed the <!--ERRTAG-RA-6514-->Freeland<!--/ERRTAG-RA-6514--> armies of Magnamund time in which to recover and launch a counter-offensive. Their commanders exploited the chaos skilfully and secured a swift and total victory over an enemy far superior in numbers.</p>
147 <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 established. 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>
148 <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>
149 <p>With diligence and determination you set about the restoration of the Kai Monastery and the training of the Second Order recruits. Your efforts were soon rewarded for 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. The Kai Masters rose to their newfound responsibilities readily, 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>
150 <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 <!--ERRTAG-RE-12767-->Grand Master Disciplines and grasp<!--/ERRTAG-RE-12767--> 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>
151 <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>
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 upon 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 occasion, acquitted yourself admirably. But your continuing victories against his minions have enraged the Dark God and inflamed his lust for vengeance. Earlier this year you thwarted Naar<ch.apos/>s plans to revive Vashna, the greatest of all the Darklords, whose spirit is trapped deep within the fathomless reaches of the Maakengorge<ch.emdash/>the <!--ERRTAG-RE-12102-->Chasm of Doom<!--/ERRTAG-RE-12102-->. Vashna<ch.apos/>s spirit has remained there in uneasy entombment ever since the day, long ago, when he and his army were defeated in battle by King Ulnar I of Sommerlund. Your brave and courageous actions prevented Naar<ch.apos/>s agents from summoning to Magnamund a demoness named Shamath from the Plane of Darkness. This supernatural creature possessed the Deathstaff<ch.emdash/>an artefact of great evil forged by Naar himself<ch.emdash/>with which she could have resurrected Vashna and his army from the Maakengorge. Yet your timely intervention destroyed the <!--ERRTAG-RA-12477-->Shadow Gate<!--/ERRTAG-RA-12477--> through which she was travelling, and by so doing, you imprisoned the demoness Shamath in the limbo which exists between your world and the Plane of Darkness.</p>
154 <p>Confident in the belief that you had saved Magnamund from the demoness and the Deathstaff, you returned triumphantly to Sommerlund. Several months later, however, as the year was drawing to a close, Lord Rimoah came unexpectedly to the Kai Monastery seeking an urgent audience. With growing dismay you listened as he relayed ill news<ch.emdash/>the Deathstaff had reappeared in Magnamund. The threat to the peace of your fragile world was greater now than ever before.</p>
155 <p><quote>When you destroyed the <!--ERRTAG-RA-12477-->Shadow Gate<!--/ERRTAG-RA-12477--> at Maakengorge, Grand Master,</quote> said Lord Rimoah, as the two of you discussed the matter in the secure privacy of your vault below the Kai Monastery, <quote>you banished Shamath to the void, hopefully for all eternity. Yet, alas, the weapon she possessed did not go with her. Naar<ch.apos/>s accursed Deathstaff has since returned to this world through another <!--ERRTAG-RA-12477-->Shadow Gate<!--/ERRTAG-RA-12477-->, one that lies far away to the west, on a remote and icy peninsula that is called Ixia.</quote></p>
156 <p><quote>My lord, do you wish me to go to Ixia<ch.emdash/>to find and destroy the Deathstaff before another of Naar<ch.apos/>s agents can use it against us? Is this why you have come seeking my help?</quote> you replied, expecting Rimoah to affirm your assumption.</p>
157 <p><quote>Partly so, my lord,</quote> he said, holding you with his steel-grey eyes, <quote>but I fear that already it has fallen into the hands of an enemy<ch.emdash/>and one who is deadlier than even the demoness Shamath. What do you know of the Deathlord of Ixia?</quote></p>
158 <p>You faintly remembered having heard this name before but were unable to recall any detail. Lord Rimoah, seeing that you were unable to give an answer, obliged with an impromptu history lesson:</p>
159 <p><quote>The Deathlord of Ixia was once lieutenant to Agarash the Damned<ch.emdash/>the most powerful of all Naar<ch.apos/>s champions of evil,</quote> said Rimoah, his head bowed as he paced the granite floor of your vault. <quote>During the Age of Eternal Night he conquered much of Northern Magnamund, including the realm of Ixia which was once a rich and very fertile land. He destroyed the native Ixians, transforming them into a legion of undead servants under his command.<footref id="tssf-1" idref="tssf-1-foot"/> Many centuries later, when my ancestors defeated Agarash during the <!--ERRTAG-RE-17262-->Age of War<!--/ERRTAG-RE-17262-->, they magically imprisoned the weakened Deathlord in a secret tomb within the dread city of Xaagon, near to the southern coast of Ixia. For thousands of years his tomb lay undisturbed until the first of the Drakkarim appeared on Magnamund. They entered Xaagon and found the Deathlord<ch.apos/>s tomb<ch.emdash/>yet legend has it that none of them escaped Ixia alive. Perhaps they, too, serve him now. During the Age of the Black Moon, the Darklords conquered all of the territories surrounding Ixia yet they chose to avoid setting foot in the Deathlord<ch.apos/>s realm. Mindful of his origins, they feared that if he were released from his sorcerous prison he would seek to dominate and destroy them.</quote></p>
160 <p><quote>My lord, are you telling me that the Deathlord of Ixia is now free of this prison <em>and</em> in possession of the Deathstaff?</quote> you asked, fearing Lord Rimoah<ch.apos/>s reply.</p>
161 <p><quote>Yes, Grand Master. I<ch.apos/>m afraid that is exactly the situation which confronts us. Since the passing of the last moon, I and others of the High Council of the Elder Magi have detected a great imbalance between the forces of Good and Evil in our world. By ill chance or by Naar<ch.apos/>s design, the Deathstaff has fallen into the hands of Ixiataaga. Once again the Deathlord is free to indulge his unholy and insatiable appetite for living beings. Already we have heard reports from Lencian fishermen which tell of the destruction of remote Drakkarim settlements around the Gulf of Konkor, and there are even claims of a <ch.apos/>death fleet<ch.apos/> having been sighted in the waters of the Shakoz Bight. Yes, Grand Master, the Deathlord is free to roam the face of Magnamund once more, and I fear he will not stop until every living creature is enslaved to him in undeath.</quote></p>
162 <p>For hours, you and your trusted advisor deliberated over what could be done to prevent this unspeakable disaster from befalling Magnamund. You considered a muster of the <!--ERRTAG-RA-6514-->Freeland<!--/ERRTAG-RA-6514--> armies and an immediate attack upon Ixia, but such a plan simply could not be executed. The peninsula of Ixia is far too remote and desolate a territory to be reached by any <!--ERRTAG-RA-6514-->Freeland<!--/ERRTAG-RA-6514--> army on foot, and, with winter already so far advanced, any ship-borne invasion would be doomed to fail. Time was also against you. The Deathlord had to be stopped as quickly as possible before he could unleash an army of undead upon Magnamund, an unkillable army that would grow larger with every battle it fought against the living.</p>
163 <p><quote>Only I can stop this,</quote> you said, voicing your thoughts.</p>
164 <p><quote>Yes, Grand Master. Only you,</quote> replied Rimoah quietly.</p>
165 <p>After a few moments<ch.apos/> silence, Rimoah continued, <quote>In expectation of your decision, preparations have already been made for your journey, Grand Master. I trust this doesn<ch.apos/>t offend you?</quote></p>
166 <p>You smiled your consent.</p>
167 <p><quote>Good. Then I shall call upon Guildmaster Banedon<ch.emdash/>he knows of the Deathlord<ch.apos/>s rise and he has offered his ship <cite>Skyrider</cite> to hasten your journey westwards. He will tell you more about Ixia and how you will be conveyed there. Godspeed, Grand Master. I shall pray to Kai and Ishir to watch over you on this fateful mission.</quote></p>
171 <section class="frontmatter" id="gamerulz">
173 <title>The Game Rules</title>
174 <link class="prev" idref="tssf" />
175 <link class="next" idref="discplnz" />
179 <footnote id="gamerulz-1-foot" idref="gamerulz-1">
180 <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>
182 <footnote id="gamerulz-2-foot" idref="gamerulz-2">
183 <p>Note that this list now includes the Silver Bracers and Korlinium Scabbard. These items are restored to the list of permissible items from the Kai and Magnakai series again in this book after being omitted beginning in <bookref series="lw" book="14tcok" section="gamerulz"><cite>The Captives of Kaag</cite></bookref>. Presumably, therefore, it should be permissible to leave the Silver Bracers and Korlinium Scabbard in safekeeping at the monastery during the previous books and retrieve them at the outset of this adventure.</p>
188 <p>You keep a record of your adventure on the <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
189 <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 your first 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 on to the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you pick a 0 it counts as zero.</p>
190 <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>
191 <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>
192 <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>
193 <p>If you have successfully completed any of the previous adventures in the <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> series (Books 1<ch.endash/>16), you can carry your current scores of <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points over to Book 17. These scores may include Weaponmastery, Curing, and Psi-surge bonuses obtained upon completion of <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> Kai (Books 1<ch.endash/>5) or Magnakai (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 Grand Master series. 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>
194 <p>However, only the following Special Items may be carried over from the <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> Kai (Books 1<ch.endash/>5) and Magnakai (Books 6<ch.endash/>12) series to the <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> Grand Master series (Books 13<ch.endash/>onwards):<footref id="gamerulz-2" idref="gamerulz-2-foot"/></p>
196 <li>Crystal Star Pendant</li>
199 <li>Silver Bracers</li>
200 <li>Jewelled Mace</li>
201 <li>Silver Bow of Duadon</li>
202 <li>Korlinium Scabbard</li>
203 <li>Kagonite Chainmail</li>
206 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="discplnz">
208 <title>Grand Master Disciplines</title>
209 <link class="prev" idref="gamerulz" />
210 <link class="next" idref="equipmnt" />
214 <footnote id="discplnz-1-foot" idref="discplnz-1">
215 <p>The rules of the books in the Magnakai series (6<ch.endash/>12) and the fact that the <quote>rank of Kai Grand Defender<ch.ellips/> means you are skilled in two<ch.ellips/> weapons</quote> imply that for each book that you complete of the Grand Master series (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 book, you can choose an additional Weapon from the list to have mastery of.</p>
220 <section class="frontmatter" id="mksumary">
222 <title>Kai and Magnakai Disciplines</title>
226 <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>
229 <dt>Weaponmastery</dt>
230 <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>
231 <dt>Animal Control</dt>
232 <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>
234 <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>
235 <dt>Invisibility</dt>
236 <dd>Mask body heat and scent; hide effectively; mask sounds during movement; minor alterations of physical appearance.</dd>
238 <dd>Effective hunting of food in the wild; increased agility; intensified vision, hearing, smell, and night vision.</dd>
239 <dt>Pathsmanship</dt>
240 <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>
242 <dd>Attack enemies using the powers of the mind; set up disruptive vibrations in objects; confuse enemies.</dd>
244 <dd>Defence against hypnosis, supernatural illusions, charms, hostile telepathy, and evil spirits. Ability to divert and re-channel hostile psychic energy.</dd>
246 <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, corrosive liquids.</dd>
248 <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>
253 <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 <!--ERRTAG-RE-27110-->Gods Kai and Ishir<!--/ERRTAG-RE-27110--> go with you as you begin your brave and noble quest.</p>
254 <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 will be of use to you at some point during your adventure, pick your four skills with care. The correct use of a Grand Master Discipline at the right time could save your life.</p>
255 <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>
257 <section class="frontmatter" id="wpnmstry">
258 <meta><title>Grand Weaponmastery</title></meta>
260 <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 <!--ERRTAG-RE-29231-->Grand Weaponmastery weapons<!--/ERRTAG-RE-29231-->, you add 5 points to your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>. The rank of Kai Grand Defender, with which you begin the Grand Master series, means you are skilled in <em>two</em> of the weapons listed below.<footref id="discplnz-1" idref="discplnz-1-foot"/></p>
261 <illustration class="inline">
263 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
265 <instance class="html" src="weapons.gif" width="386" height="310" />
266 <instance class="pdf" src="weapons.pdf" width="386" height="310" />
267 <instance class="text" src="none" width="none" height="none" >
268 <ul class="unbulleted">
275 <li>Quarterstaff</li>
285 <section class="frontmatter" id="anmlmstr">
286 <meta><title>Animal Mastery</title></meta>
288 <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>
292 <section class="frontmatter" id="deliver">
293 <meta><title>Deliverance (Advanced Curing)</title></meta>
295 <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>
299 <section class="frontmatter" id="assimila">
300 <meta><title>Assimilance (Advanced Invisibility)</title></meta>
302 <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>
306 <section class="frontmatter" id="hntmstry">
307 <meta><title>Grand Huntmastery</title></meta>
309 <p>Grand Masters are able to see in total darkness, and have greatly heightened senses of touch and taste.</p>
313 <section class="frontmatter" id="pthmnshp">
314 <meta><title>Grand Pathsmanship</title></meta>
316 <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>
320 <section class="frontmatter" id="kaisurge">
321 <meta><title>Kai-surge</title></meta>
323 <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>
324 <p>Grand Masters cannot use Kai-surge if their <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> score falls to 6 points or below.</p>
328 <section class="frontmatter" id="kaiscrn">
329 <meta><title>Kai-screen</title></meta>
331 <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>
335 <section class="frontmatter" id="nexus">
336 <meta><title>Grand Nexus</title></meta>
338 <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>
342 <section class="frontmatter" id="gnosis">
343 <meta><title>Telegnosis (Advanced Divination)</title></meta>
345 <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>
349 <section class="frontmatter" id="magi">
350 <meta><title><!--ERRTAG-RE-33045-->Magi-magic<!--/ERRTAG-RE-33045--></title></meta>
352 <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. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of Old Kingdom magic increase.</p>
356 <section class="frontmatter" id="alchemy">
357 <meta><title>Kai-alchemy</title></meta>
359 <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. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of Left-handed magic increase, enabling you to craft new Kai weapons and <!--ERRTAG-RE-34720-->artefacts<!--/ERRTAG-RE-34720-->.</p>
363 <p>If you successfully complete the mission as set in this, the fifth of the <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> Grand Master 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="18dotd">Book 18</bookref>.</p>
365 <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 Grand Master adventure, which is called <bookref series="lw" book="18dotd"><cite>Dawn of the Dragons</cite>.</bookref></p>
369 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="equipmnt">
371 <title>Equipment</title>
372 <link class="prev" idref="discplnz"/>
373 <link class="next" idref="cmbtrulz"/>
377 <p>Before you set off on your long journey to Ixia you take with you a <a idref="map">map of the area</a> <!--ERRTAG-DE-35140/--> 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>
378 <p>If you have successfully completed any of the previous <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> adventures (Books 1<ch.endash/>16), 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 <!--ERRTAG-RE-35809-->safekeeping<!--/ERRTAG-RE-35809--> at your monastery.</p>
379 <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>
380 <ul class="paragraphed">
381 <li><p><!--ERRTAG-RE-37113-->Broadsword<!--/ERRTAG-RE-37113--> (Weapons)</p></li>
382 <li><p><!--ERRTAG-RE-37196-->Bow<!--/ERRTAG-RE-37196--> (Weapons)</p></li>
384 <p><!--ERRTAG-RE-37292-->Quiver<!--/ERRTAG-RE-37292--> (Special Items) This contains six <!--ERRTAG-RE-36319-->Arrows<!--/ERRTAG-RE-36319-->; record them on your <a idref="action">Weapons List</a>.</p>
385 <illustration class="inline">
387 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
389 <instance class="html" src="quiver.gif" width="386" height="127"/>
390 <instance class="pdf" src="quiver.pdf" width="386" height="127"/>
394 <p><!--ERRTAG-RE-37805-->Dagger<!--/ERRTAG-RE-37805--> (Weapons)</p>
395 <illustration class="inline">
397 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
399 <instance class="html" src="dagger.gif" width="386" height="157"/>
400 <instance class="pdf" src="dagger.pdf" width="386" height="103"/>
403 <li><p><!--ERRTAG-RE-38196-->Sword<!--/ERRTAG-RE-38196--> (Weapons)</p></li>
405 <p>2 <!--ERRTAG-RE-38293-->Meals<!--/ERRTAG-RE-38293--> (Meals) Each Meal takes up one space in your Backpack.</p>
406 <illustration class="inline">
408 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
410 <instance class="html" src="food.gif" width="386" height="152"/>
411 <instance class="pdf" src="food.pdf" width="386" height="91"/>
415 <p><!--ERRTAG-RE-38729-->Rope<!--/ERRTAG-RE-38729--> (Backpack Item)</p>
416 <illustration class="inline">
418 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
420 <instance class="html" src="rope.gif" width="386" height="109"/>
421 <instance class="pdf" src="rope.pdf" width="386" height="109"/>
425 <p><!--ERRTAG-RE-39131-->Potion of Laumspur<!--/ERRTAG-RE-39131--> (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>
426 <illustration class="inline">
428 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
430 <instance class="html" src="potion.gif" width="386" height="167"/>
431 <instance class="pdf" src="potion.pdf" width="386" height="127"/>
434 <li><p><!--ERRTAG-RE-39691-->Axe<!--/ERRTAG-RE-39691--> (Weapons)</p></li>
437 <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>
439 <section class="frontmatter" id="howuse">
441 <title>How to Use Your Equipment</title>
445 <dl class="paragraphed">
447 <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.</p></dd>
448 <dt>Bows and Arrows</dt>
450 <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 axe.</p>
451 <p>In order to use a Bow you must possess a <!--ERRTAG-RA-39864-->Quiver<!--/ERRTAG-RA-39864--> 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>
452 <p>If you have the Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery with a Bow, you may add 3 to any number that you pick from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>, when using the Bow.</p>
454 <dt>Backpack Items</dt>
456 <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>
457 <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 <!--ERRTAG-RE-40946-->(e.g. Gold Dagger<!--/ERRTAG-RE-40946-->, 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>
459 <dt>Special Items</dt>
461 <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>
465 <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>
468 <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>
469 <dt>Potion of Laumspur</dt>
470 <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>
477 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="cmbtrulz">
479 <title>Rules for Combat</title>
480 <link class="prev" idref="equipmnt" />
481 <link class="next" idref="levels" />
485 <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>
486 <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>
487 <ol class="paragraphed">
488 <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>
490 <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>
492 <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>
493 <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>
495 <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>
497 <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>
499 <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>
501 <li>Lone Wolf loses 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points (plus an additional 1 point for using Kai-surge).</li>
502 <li>Doomwolf Pack loses 7 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</li>
505 <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>
506 <li><p>Unless otherwise instructed, or unless you have an option to evade, the next round of combat now starts.</p></li>
507 <li><p>Repeat the sequence from <a idref="stage3">Stage 3.</a></p></li>
510 <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>
511 <p>A <a idref="crsumary">summary of Combat Rules</a> appears in the back of this book.</p>
513 <section class="frontmatter" id="evasion">
514 <meta><title>Evasion of Combat</title></meta>
517 <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>
523 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="levels">
525 <title>Levels of Kai Grand Mastership</title>
526 <link class="prev" idref="cmbtrulz" />
527 <link class="next" idref="imprvdsc" />
531 <p>The following table is a guide to the rank 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>
534 <li>Kai Grand Master Senior</li>
535 <li>Kai Grand Master Superior</li>
536 <li>Kai Grand Sentinel</li>
537 <li>Kai Grand Defender<ch.emdash/><em>You begin the <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> Grand Master adventures at this level of Mastery</em></li>
538 <li>Kai Grand Guardian</li>
545 <li>Kai Supreme Master</li>
550 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="imprvdsc">
552 <title>Improved Grand Master Disciplines</title>
553 <link class="prev" idref="levels" />
554 <link class="next" idref="kaiwisdm" />
558 <footnote id="imprvdsc-1-foot" idref="imprvdsc-1">
559 <p>The <spell>Strength</spell> spell is, in practice, also used in armed combat contrary to what is indicated here.</p>
564 <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>
566 <section class="frontmatter" id="guardian">
567 <meta><title>Kai Grand Guardian</title></meta>
569 <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>
570 <dl class="paragraphed">
571 <dt>Animal Mastery</dt>
572 <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>
574 <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>
575 <dt>Grand Huntmastery</dt>
576 <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>
578 <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>
580 <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>
583 <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>
585 <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>
586 <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>
593 <section class="frontmatter" id="sunkght">
594 <meta><title>Sun Knight</title></meta>
597 <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>
598 <dl class="paragraphed">
599 <dt>Grand Weaponmastery</dt>
600 <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>
602 <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>
603 <dt>Grand Pathsmanship</dt>
604 <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 numbers of insects so affected increases considerably as a Grand Master rises in rank.</p></dd>
606 <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>
608 <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>
611 <p>Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Knight are able to use the following <!--ERRTAG-RE-53768-->Brotherhood Spells<!--/ERRTAG-RE-53768-->:</p>
613 <li><spell>Halt Missile</spell><ch.emdash/>This causes any projected or hurled missile (i.e. arrows, axes, crossbow bolts, etc.) which may pose an immediate threat to the life of a Sun Knight, to cease its flight and remain stationary in mid-air. The effect of the spell lasts for 2<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>
614 <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 in unarmed combat.<footref id="imprvdsc-1" idref="imprvdsc-1-foot"/></li>
621 <section class="frontmatter" id="sunlord">
622 <meta><title>Sun Lord</title></meta>
625 <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>
626 <dl class="paragraphed">
627 <dt>Grand Weaponmastery</dt>
628 <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>
630 <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>
631 <dt>Grand Huntmastery</dt>
632 <dd><p>Kai Sun Lords with this skill are able to see, with acute accuracy, light in the infrared spectrum, <!--ERRTAG-RE-58448-->i.e. they<!--/ERRTAG-RE-58448--> can see complex patterns generated by heat in near or total darkness. They can also see light in the ultraviolet spectrum.</p></dd>
634 <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>
636 <dd><p>Sun Lords who possess this Discipline are able to alter their body weight in order to walk successfully upon different kinds of surface, e.g. water, mud, lava, and quicksand. Time duration and degree of surface difficulty increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.</p></dd>
637 <dt><!--ERRTAG-RE-57185-->Magi-magic<!--/ERRTAG-RE-57185--></dt>
639 <p>Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Lord are able to use the following battle-spells of the Elder Magi:</p>
641 <li><spell>Penetrate</spell><ch.emdash/>This increases the penetrative energy of any Arrow or Arrow-like missile, launched by a Sun Lord.</li>
642 <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 <!--ERRTAG-RE-58099-->Brotherhood Spell <spell>Lightning Hand</spell><!--/ERRTAG-RE-58099-->, 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>
649 <section class="frontmatter" id="sunthane">
650 <meta><title>Sun Thane</title></meta>
653 <p>If you are a Grand Master who has reached the rank of Sun Thane (8 Disciplines), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:</p>
654 <dl class="paragraphed">
655 <dt>Animal Mastery</dt>
656 <dd><p>Sun Thanes with this Discipline are able to command an animal to fall asleep at will. Some hostile animals may be able to resist this command, but most will be affected by it in some way. The duration of effect and the number of animals which can be affected at one time will increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.</p></dd>
658 <dd><p>Sun Thanes who possess this skill are able to conduct a Kai Exorcism. This ritual will banish any evil supernatural force that has taken possession of any goodly creature or object.</p></dd>
659 <dt>Grand Huntmastery</dt>
660 <dd><p>Kai Sun Thanes with this skill are able to protect themselves from the effects of being struck by natural electrical discharges, <!--ERRTAG-RE-59140-->i.e. lightning<!--/ERRTAG-RE-59140-->.</p></dd>
661 <dt>Grand Pathsmanship</dt>
662 <dd><p>Sun Thanes who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to alter the temperature of water by touch. By using this skill they are able to transform water into ice and vice versa. The volume of water affected, and the duration of effect, both increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.</p></dd>
664 <dd><p>Sun Thanes who possess this Discipline are able to erect a special psychic defence called <spell>Mindfort</spell>. A <spell>Mindfort</spell> defence greatly reduces the effects of any psychic shock that would normally paralyse or weaken a lesser mortal.</p></dd>
667 <p>Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Thane are able to use the following <!--ERRTAG-RE-60406-->Brotherhood Spells<!--/ERRTAG-RE-60406-->:</p>
669 <li><spell>Slow Fall</spell><ch.emdash/>By casting this spell, Kai Sun Thanes are able to slow their rate of free-falling to three feet per second, thereby avoiding damage upon landing while the spell is in effect. The duration of the spell is limited at first, but it steadily increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.</li>
670 <li><spell>Breathe Water</spell><ch.emdash/>Using this spell, a Kai Sun Thane is able to breathe underwater for ten minutes. The duration of effect increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.</li>
676 <p>The nature of any additional improvements and how they affect your Grand Master Disciplines will be noted in the <!--ERRTAG-RE-60783--><em>Improved Grand Master Disciplines</em><!--/ERRTAG-RE-60783--> section of future <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> books.</p>
682 <section class="frontmatter" id="kaiwisdm">
684 <title>Grand Master<ch.apos/>s Wisdom</title>
685 <link class="prev" idref="imprvdsc" />
686 <link class="next" idref="sect1" />
690 <p>Ixia is a cruel and treacherous region. Be wary and on your guard at all times, for you can expect no help at all from the fell creatures who dwell in this remote territory.</p>
691 <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 items, be selective in what you choose to keep.</p>
692 <p>Pick your four Grand Master Disciplines with care, for a wise choice will enable any player to complete the quest, 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 adventure.</p>
693 <p>May the light of Kai and Ishir be your guide as you venture into the darkness of Ixia.</p>
694 <p>For Sommerlund and the Kai!</p>
698 <section class="numbered" id="numbered">
699 <meta><title>Numbered Sections</title></meta>
703 <section class="numbered" id="sect1">
704 <meta><title>1</title></meta>
707 <p>Lord Rimoah removes a sphere of crystal from a pocket of his robe and holds it up to the lantern light. It is filled with a swirling grey mist. Softly he murmurs the words of an ancient spell and the mist clears to reveal the anxious face of your friend<ch.emdash/>Guildmaster Banedon. Rimoah speaks briefly to Banedon<ch.apos/>s image, requesting that he come to the Monastery at once.</p>
708 <p><thought>I will be with you within the hour,</thought> says the voice of Banedon, a whisper in your mind.</p>
709 <p>Your friend is in Toran, sixty miles to the north, yet he holds true to his word. In less than an hour he arrives at the Monastery aboard <cite>Skyrider</cite><ch.emdash/>his sleek flying ship. Two excited young <!--ERRTAG-RE-63440-->Kai Aspirants<!--/ERRTAG-RE-63440--> bring word of his arrival to the vault and you respond by making your way swiftly to the surface. Banedon<ch.apos/>s <cite>Skyrider</cite> is hovering above the training park, the hum of its magical engine amplified by the surrounding walls and battlements. It is dusk on this wintry evening and a shower of feathery snow is illuminated by the craft<ch.apos/>s lanterns. A rope ladder hangs from the bow rail to the frost-hardened earth.</p>
710 <p><quote>Go aboard, Grand Master,</quote> <!--ERRTAG-RE-63972-->urges Rimoah.<!--/ERRTAG-RE-63972--> <quote>Banedon will advise you and provide you with what you<ch.apos/>ll be needing. I shall stay here and pray for your safe return.</quote></p>
711 <p>You bid a hasty farewell to your mentor before climbing the dangling rope ladder with the legendary speed and grace that sets you apart from lesser warriors. Banedon is waiting as you haul yourself aboard. He greets you with a glad smile, yet his face cannot hide his deep concern for what may await you in Ixia. You wave a final farewell to Lord Rimoah; then you retreat to the warmth of Banedon<ch.apos/>s cabin as the <cite>Skyrider</cite> glides over the Monastery<ch.apos/>s southern wall and ascends into the leaden sky.</p>
712 <p>Your friend Banedon has already set a course for Vadera, the principal city of Lencia, a destination which is more than a full day<ch.apos/>s flight west of Sommerlund. Were this not the first stage of a longer voyage to Ixia you would gladly welcome the chance to visit Vadera, for you have many friends there in the court of King Sarnac of Lencia.</p>
713 <p>During the flight, Banedon details the plans which have been made on your behalf. King Sarnac himself has promised his help; he will provide you with a boat and a pilot to sail you from Vadera to Azgad Island, a desolate Lencian outpost in the Tozaz Sea. On your arrival there you will be transferred to a Lencian ice-boat, a craft specially built to withstand the power of the treacherous <!--ERRTAG-RE-65461-->pack-ice<!--/ERRTAG-RE-65461--> which clings to the Ixian shoreline at this time of the year.</p>
714 <p><quote>The ice-boat will land you on the coast of Ixia, Lone Wolf,</quote> says Banedon, <quote>and then it will wait at anchor for you to return upon the completion of your mission.</quote></p>
715 <p><quote>How long will the <!--ERRTAG-RE-65775-->ice-boat<!--/ERRTAG-RE-65775--> wait for me?</quote> you ask, apprehensively.</p>
716 <p><quote>If you do not return within <!--ERRTAG-RE-65937-->seven days, the pilot<!--/ERRTAG-RE-65937--> has orders to set sail for Vadera without you. The Tozaz in winter is a cruel and terrible sea<ch.emdash/>no ordinary man could hope to survive there for much longer than a week, no matter how strong his ship or plentiful his supplies. Which reminds me<ch.emdash/>if you are to survive your visit to Deathlord Ixiataaga<ch.apos/>s frigid realm, you will be needing some special protection.</quote></p>
717 <choice idref="sect166">If you possess a Platinum Amulet, <link-text>turn to 166</link-text>.</choice>
718 <choice idref="sect282">If you do not possess this Special Item, <link-text>turn to 282</link-text>.</choice>
722 <section class="numbered" id="sect2">
723 <meta><title>2</title></meta>
726 <p>Furtive and fretful, like dogs snuffling for a grounded fox, the undead Drakkarim encircle your hiding place and begin to close in upon you. It can only be a matter of moments before they find what they are looking for!</p>
727 <choice idref="sect279">If you possess Kai-surge and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, <link-text>turn to 279</link-text>.</choice>
728 <choice idref="sect31">If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, <link-text>turn to 31</link-text>.</choice>
732 <section class="numbered" id="sect3">
733 <meta><title>3</title></meta>
736 <p>To your dismay, the descending wave of Lavas reach the <!--ERRTAG-RE-67530-->Demonlord<!--/ERRTAG-RE-67530--> before you and form up in a protective circle around his ice-sheened body. Those that remain in the sky beat the air with their mighty wings, causing a powerful down-draught which holds you at bay.</p>
737 <p>Shielding your eyes from the stinging dust-choked winds, you look up and see that the Lavas leader is cradling the curious spiked metal bowl in its horny hands. He descends towards Tagazin and inverts it, and suddenly you realize its true purpose and design. It is a helm of power, affixed on top with a crystal spike. The Lavas places the helm upon the <!--ERRTAG-RE-68158-->Demonlord<ch.apos/>s<!--/ERRTAG-RE-68158--> head and the spike begins to glow menacingly.</p>
738 <p>Now all of the Lavas ascend into the sky where they wait to view a confrontation which is about to commence. Suddenly Tagazin, revitalized by the power of the spiked helm, comes charging at you with his head lowered, snorting gruffly like a maddened bull.</p>
739 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you possess Grand Huntmastery or Grand Pathsmanship, add 3 to the number you have picked.</p>
740 <choice idref="sect72">If your total is now 4 or less, <link-text>turn to 72</link-text>.</choice>
741 <choice idref="sect308">If it is 5 or more, <link-text>turn to 308</link-text>.</choice>
745 <section class="numbered" id="sect4">
746 <meta><title>4</title></meta>
749 <p>You circle around the hall, keeping a wary eye on the frozen humanoids that line the walls in case your presence here should cause them to animate. Fortunately your caution proves unnecessary<ch.emdash/>they remain completely immobile.</p>
750 <p>As you pass by the shimmering archway, you feel nausea rising from the pit of your stomach and a wave of dizziness makes you falter for a few moments: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. However, your dogged persistence pays off when you discover a partially-concealed panel in the wall. As you step nearer, it slides open to reveal a flight of steps which ascend to an empty chamber. Here you discover a door of opaque green crystal set flush into the north wall. Closer investigation reveals a curious lockplate positioned at its centre.</p>
751 <choice idref="sect322">If you wish to examine this lock, <link-text>turn to 322</link-text>.</choice>
752 <choice idref="sect299">If you choose to ignore the crystal door and return by the stairs to the entrance hall below, <link-text>turn to 299</link-text>.</choice>
756 <section class="numbered" id="sect5">
757 <meta><title>5</title></meta>
760 <p>You mistime your jump and land badly, breaking your right leg in three places and rendering yourself incapable of moving. Gritting your teeth against the intense pain, you draw on your healing skills to mend the broken bones. Unfortunately, before your legs have healed sufficiently for you to go on, you are crushed to death by a deluge of falling masonry.</p>
761 <p>Your incredible courage has brought about the defeat of the evil Deathlord Ixiataaga, saving untold millions of living souls from an eternity of slavery in his service. So long as there is Good upon Magnamund you will never be forgotten. Sadly, though, death is the price you have paid for this victory.</p>
762 <p>Your life and your quest end here in the Crystal Spire of Xaagon.</p>
766 <section class="numbered" id="sect6">
767 <meta><title>6</title></meta>
770 <p>There is a faint <!--ERRTAG-RE-71213--><onomatopoeia>click</onomatopoeia><!--/ERRTAG-RE-71213--> and the door opens without a sound. You walk through and emerge into a chamber composed entirely of polished black crystal, where you see myriad images of yourself trailing away into infinity within the mirror-smooth walls. At first you see only your own reflections, but when you cast your gaze around this eerie chamber you realize that you are not alone. Standing guard at an open archway are a trio of undead creatures, the like of which you have never encountered before. They are armed with barbed tridents which they hold loosely in their corpse-green hands.</p>
771 <p>Suddenly they become aware of your presence and come scurrying forwards, their tridents raised in readiness to pin you to the wall.</p>
772 <choice idref="sect287">If you possess a <!--ERRTAG-RE-72055-->Bow<!--/ERRTAG-RE-72055-->, and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 287</link-text>.</choice>
773 <choice idref="sect64">If you do not, <link-text>turn to 64</link-text>.</choice>
777 <section class="numbered" id="sect7">
778 <meta><title>7</title></meta>
781 <p>Drawing on your Magnakai skills of camouflage and psychic defence to shield your body and mind, you leave your hiding place and hurry through the open archway. Several hundred yards <!--ERRTAG-RE-72582-->beyond, you<!--/ERRTAG-RE-72582--> come to a wide stone staircase which ascends to a landing, positioned high above the underground lake and ice cavern. As you climb the steps, the sub-zero temperature plummets even further, making you shiver involuntarily, despite the combined protection of your Platinum Amulet and your Magnakai skills.</p>
782 <p>At length you reach the landing to be greeted by the sight of two undead Ixian warriors standing guard at the mouth of a cave. Instinctively, you sidestep into the shadows to avoid being seen, but the Ixians show no reactions; <!--ERRTAG-RE-73183-->it is as if<!--/ERRTAG-RE-73183--> they have both been cast in stone.</p>
783 <p>Beyond the open cave mouth you see a bleak and desolate wasteland of rock and ice. A blizzard is raging, whipped up by a fierce electrical storm that blazes above a distant mountain range. The jagged peaks are illuminated by the flashes of the storm<ch.apos/>s ghostly, blue-white fire.</p>
785 <illustration id="bw-small3" class="inline">
787 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
789 <instance class="html" src="small3.gif" width="386" height="150"/>
790 <instance class="pdf" src="small3.pdf" width="386" height="150"/>
793 <p>Your Kai senses tell you that the evil sorcery which animates and controls the guards is temporarily dormant: these two skeletons currently pose no threat to your safety. However, the same cannot be said of the troop of undead Drakkarim warriors who, at this moment, are marching up the stairs behind you. Reluctantly, you leave the cave mouth and set off into the raging blizzard in search of the city of Xaagon.</p>
794 <choice idref="sect44"><link-text>Turn to 44</link-text>.</choice>
798 <section class="numbered" id="sect8">
799 <meta><title>8</title></meta>
802 <p>The instant you step into the light, a wave of acute pain washes through your body as the curtain of shimmering radiance swallows you up. You writhe in agony as gravity releases its hold on your body, and you feel yourself begin to rise: lose 10 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
803 <p>You are on the threshold of unconsciousness when suddenly the light fades and you find yourself kneeling on a floor of black crystal, staring at the reflection of your pain-wracked face in its highly-polished surface. Wearily you raise your aching head and see, to your horror, a trio of undead creatures scurrying towards you from an open archway. They have barbed tridents clasped in their corpse-green hands, held raised in readiness to pin you to the floor.</p>
804 <choice idref="sect287">If you possess a <!--ERRTAG-RE-75028-->Bow<!--/ERRTAG-RE-75028-->, and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 287</link-text>.</choice>
805 <choice idref="sect96">If you possess Kai-surge, and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 96</link-text>.</choice>
806 <choice idref="sect64"><!--ERRTAG-RE-75303-->If you do not<!--/ERRTAG-RE-75303-->, or if you choose not to use either of the above, then <link-text>turn to 64</link-text>.</choice>
810 <section class="numbered" id="sect9">
811 <meta><title>9</title></meta>
814 <p>As you stare upwards at the monstrous spire, you detect waves of pure evil radiating from its ice-sheathed surfaces. They seem to wax and wane in time with the crimson light pulsing from its tip. Your improved mastery also detects dangerously high concentrations of light in the <!--ERRTAG-RE-75861-->ultraviolet<!--/ERRTAG-RE-75861--> spectrum. So strong is this light that it physically sickens you, yet you find it hard to look away; you are both fascinated and repulsed by it.</p>
815 <p>Suddenly you realize what it is that you are seeing and feeling: it is the evil power of Deathlord Ixiataaga himself. He is present here, somewhere inside this dread spire.</p>
816 <choice idref="sect325">If you possess Kai-screen, <link-text>turn to 325</link-text>.</choice>
817 <choice idref="sect245">If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline, <link-text>turn to 245</link-text>.</choice>
821 <section class="numbered" id="sect10">
822 <meta><title>10</title></meta>
825 <footnote id="sect10-1-foot" idref="sect10-1">
826 <p>This is the correct answer to the grid lock in <a idref="sect69">Section 69</a>.</p>
831 <p>With a dull <onomatopoeia>clunk</onomatopoeia>, the lock disengages and the heavy portal creaks ajar.<footref id="sect10-1" idref="sect10-1-foot"/> Immediately you are greeted by a blast of frozen air as you push open the door and step out on to a viewing platform which is fixed to the outer metallic skin of this huge alien submarine. Away to your right you can see a line of ice-boats at anchor at the lake<ch.apos/>s edge, and to your left you notice a column of skeletal warriors. These are being led by a black-robed Cabalah, marching in mechanical fashion along a jetty towards the mouth of a tunnel which leads out of the vast ice cavern. Your keen Kai senses tell you that you have arrived in Ixia, and that the distant tunnel leads to the surface.</p>
832 <p>You commit the position of the ice-boats to memory; if your mission is successful, you will be needing some means by which you can escape from Ixia. Then you carefully observe the area immediately surrounding the submarine, and notice that there are only two ways by which you can reach the distant tunnel<ch.emdash/>by the adjacent jetty, or by entering the icy waters of the lake and swimming to the shore.</p>
833 <choice idref="sect30">If you wish to attempt to reach the tunnel via the jetty, <link-text>turn to 30</link-text>.</choice>
834 <choice idref="sect161">If you choose to attempt to reach the tunnel entrance by swimming from the submarine to the shore, <link-text>turn instead to 161</link-text>.</choice>
838 <section class="numbered" id="sect11">
839 <meta><title>11</title></meta>
842 <p>You pilot the ship cautiously along a string of narrow fjords which cut an uncertain route through this treacherous field of icebergs. Using a mix of hand signals and telepathy, you send directions to the helmsman at the rear of the ship. It is a gruelling procedure which soon takes its toll on the nerves of all aboard.</p>
843 <p>Every few minutes your vision is obscured by gusts of powdery snow which swirl across the deck, blown down from the tops of the surrounding ice cliffs. During one of these fierce blasts you are momentarily blinded. You clasp your hands to your stinging eyes and suddenly the incessant howl of the wind is accompanied by the tortured screech of the hull as it shudders along a bank of submerged ice. The impact sends the ship careering violently to port and almost hurls you overboard. You crash heavily against the rail and rebound to the deck where you lie for a few moments, stunned and gasping for breath: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
844 <p>Mindful of the deadly danger, you scramble to your feet and rush to the prow. The crew have been clearly terrified by the collision; most of them are cowering along the ship<ch.apos/>s rail, staring up at the encroaching walls of ice, their eyes haunted with fear as earnestly they offer prayers to the Goddess Ishir. Then, almost without any warning, the snow-laden wind abates and the ship emerges from the iceberg field into the open waters of the Tozaz Sea. The crew give a hearty cheer, relieved that their icy ordeal has at last come to an end. One man pulls the cork from a bottle of black rum which he has been keeping for a special occasion. He takes a mighty swig, then passes it to you. Just as you are about to take a swallow, unexpectedly you hear the helmsman<ch.apos/>s voice echoing along the deck: <quote>Ship ahoy!</quote></p>
845 <p>Fear returns to tie a knot in your stomach as you turn and focus your eagle eyes upon the distant vessel.</p>
846 <choice idref="sect195"><link-text>Turn to 195</link-text>.</choice>
850 <section class="numbered" id="sect12">
851 <meta><title>12</title></meta>
854 <p>You see that the Deathstaff is no longer vibrating with power. You sense that Ixiataaga has expended all of its unholy energy in one massive burst, in the hope of destroying you quickly and utterly. It will be several minutes before the Deathstaff recoups its dark powers<ch.emdash/>you must act swiftly if you are to turn this to your advantage.</p>
855 <p>You raise the Sommerswerd and an umbrella of golden light bursts from its hilt to illuminate the debris-strewn chamber.</p>
856 <p><quote>For Sommerlund and the Kai!</quote> you shout, and, with a single mighty leap, you traverse the fiery moat and land on the plinth within an arm<ch.apos/>s length of the Deathlord<ch.apos/>s foul form. Your brave and bold action takes Ixiataaga aback, but he quickly recovers and, with unnerving speed, he spins around to counter your attack.</p>
857 <choice idref="sect214"><link-text>Turn to 214</link-text>.</choice>
861 <section class="numbered" id="sect13">
862 <meta><title>13</title></meta>
865 <p>With difficulty you retrieve the Sabito from your Backpack and force it into your mouth. Your lungs feel as if they are on fire, and you are barely moments away from slipping into unconsciousness when the Sabito takes effect. Quickly the feelings of nausea subside and your strength returns. This prized herb enables your body to absorb oxygen from the icy <!--ERRTAG-RE-81799-->seawater<!--/ERRTAG-RE-81799--> directly through the pores of your skin, negating the need to surface for air.</p>
866 <p>In just a few minutes you reach the distant shoreline and break through the surface alongside a shallow stone causeway. Atop this causeway is a track, a spur of which branches off towards the tunnel entrance. With only your head visible above the lake, you cling to the causeway stones and wait patiently for a patrol of undead warriors to march past.</p>
867 <choice idref="sect169"><link-text>Turn to 169</link-text>.</choice>
871 <section class="numbered" id="sect14">
872 <meta><title>14</title></meta>
875 <p>You race up the treacherously frosty steps which lead to the open watchtower roof. There you find Prarg hurriedly loading a pantard<ch.emdash/>a heavy iron crossbow which is mounted on a rotating platform.</p>
876 <p>Once again the freezing air is filled with cries of fear and chaos. Drawn by these frightful sounds, you run to the stone parapet and look down to see the great black ship come shuddering to a halt beside the harbour wall. Instantly, a horde of undead warriors leap on to the quayside and rush off in pursuit of the routing Lencians. Their eyes burn with an unnatural fire and they howl like demons as mercilessly they hunt down their human prey.</p>
877 <p>Prarg has now loaded the pantard and he calls on you to act as gunner. You oblige by taking hold of the firing mechanism and swivelling the weapon around in search of your first target. Two spring readily to view: the mass of <!--ERRTAG-RE-83432-->undead that are swarming<!--/ERRTAG-RE-83432--> ashore, and a glowing glassy sphere which is mounted on a plinth beside the ship<ch.apos/>s wheelhouse.</p>
879 <illustration class="float">
881 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
883 <line>A horde of undead warriors leap on to the quayside.</line>
886 <instance class="html" src="ill1.gif" width="386" height="613"/>
887 <instance class="pdf" src="ill1.pdf" width="386" height="613"/>
890 <choice idref="sect114">If you choose to fire at the undead horde, <link-text>turn to 114</link-text>.</choice>
891 <choice idref="sect251">If you decide to fire at the glowing sphere, <link-text>turn to 251</link-text>.</choice>
895 <section class="numbered" id="sect15">
896 <meta><title>15</title></meta>
899 <p>Using your advanced mastery, you lighten your body weight to prevent yourself from sinking any deeper into the mire. Moments later, you feel something brush past your leg for a second time and the chilling sensation galvanizes you into action.</p>
900 <p>The walls of the shaft are mirror smooth for the first ten feet above the surface of the mire. But beyond this point you notice that they are rough-hewn and studded with sharp spurs of rock. One such spur offers a tempting handhold<ch.ellips/> if only you could get to it. If you could reach it, it would be an easy task for a warrior of your agility to climb to the opening above.</p>
901 <choice idref="sect323">If you possess a Rope (oiled or otherwise), <link-text>turn to 323</link-text>.</choice>
902 <choice idref="sect210">If you do not possess this Backpack Item, <link-text>turn to 210</link-text>.</choice>
906 <section class="numbered" id="sect16">
907 <meta><title>16</title></meta>
910 <p>Upon the instant you strike your fatal blow the creature emits a piercing shriek and crumples to the floor of the cave. The stench of its rotting body makes you feel nauseous, but at least it is blocking the icy wind which whips through the open cave mouth. After satisfying yourself that it was the only one of its kind in this cave, you settle down in a corner and take a well-deserved rest: restore 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
911 <choice idref="sect289"><link-text>Turn to 289</link-text>.</choice>
915 <section class="numbered" id="sect17">
916 <meta><title>17</title></meta>
919 <p>For a few tense moments you pause to consider a plan of action. The radiant light from the archway raises the hairs on the nape of your neck<ch.emdash/>a sure sign that danger lies here. But as you focus on the eerie curtain of light, you sense that beyond it lies the only certain route by which you can gain access to the higher levels of this dread citadel.</p>
920 <choice idref="sect52">If you wish to pass through the shimmering archway, <link-text>turn to 52</link-text>.</choice>
921 <choice idref="sect158">If you decide to search for an alternative way of reaching the upper levels of the <!--ERRTAG-RE-87045-->Crystal Spire<!--/ERRTAG-RE-87045-->, <link-text>turn to 158</link-text>.</choice>
925 <section class="numbered" id="sect18">
926 <meta><title>18</title></meta>
929 <p>You leave the Ixian ship and go in search of Captain Lanza. You find him with his men by the watchtower<ch.emdash/>they are building a bonfire out of rags and broken bones. A toothless sergeant empties a gallon of <!--ERRTAG-RE-87112-->skark oil<!--/ERRTAG-RE-87112--> on to the heap and a burning torch sets the whole thing ablaze.</p>
930 <p>You stride over to Lanza and slap him heartily on the back. <quote>Well fought, Captain. You and your men have brought honour to Lencia this day.</quote></p>
931 <p>Captain Lanza greets your compliment with a sombre face. <quote>Nay, sire,</quote> he says, sadly. <quote><ch.thinspace/><ch.apos/>Tis the enemy who<ch.apos/>ve won. The ice-boat is sunk and we cannot sail you to Ixia.</quote></p>
932 <p><quote>We can use the enemy ship, Captain,</quote> you reply. <quote>It is perfect for the task. All I need of you are some provisions and a crew.</quote></p>
933 <p>Lanza<ch.apos/>s face brightens. He orders his men to prepare the Ixian ship and within the hour you are ready to set sail.</p>
934 <p><quote>May the gods watch over you, Grand Master,</quote> says Prarg, as you bid him and Lanza farewell.</p>
935 <p><quote>Do not fear,</quote> <!--ERRTAG-RE-88112-->you reply. <quote>I shall soon return.</quote><!--/ERRTAG-RE-88112--></p>
936 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>.</p>
937 <choice idref="sect332">If the number you have picked is 0<ch.endash/>4, <link-text>turn to 332</link-text>.</choice>
938 <choice idref="sect224">If it is 5<ch.endash/>9, <link-text>turn to 224</link-text>.</choice>
942 <section class="numbered" id="sect19">
943 <meta><title>19</title></meta>
946 <p>Using the Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, you focus on the hole and attempt to will the lock to disengage itself.</p>
947 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. For every level of <!--ERRTAG-RE-88807-->Kai Mastery<!--/ERRTAG-RE-88807--> you have <!--ERRTAG-RE-88888-->attained above<!--/ERRTAG-RE-88888--> that of Sun Knight, add 1 to the number you have picked.</p>
948 <choice idref="sect65">If your total is now 7 or less, <link-text>turn to 65</link-text>.</choice>
949 <choice idref="sect143">If it is 8 or more, <link-text>turn to 143</link-text>.</choice>
953 <section class="numbered" id="sect20">
954 <meta><title>20</title></meta>
957 <footnote id="sect20-1-foot" idref="sect20-1">
958 <p>This is the correct answer to the ancient, green crystal lock in <a idref="sect213">Section 213</a>.</p>
963 <p>The moment you project the correct number at the lockplate, the entire portal begins to shimmer and lose its solidity.<footref id="sect20-1" idref="sect20-1-foot"/> It becomes transparent and then fades completely, as if evaporating into thin air. With a smile of satisfaction on your lips at having solved the riddle, you step through the <!--ERRTAG-RE-89634-->now open<!--/ERRTAG-RE-89634--> archway and into an adjoining hall.</p>
965 <illustration id="bw-small10" class="inline">
967 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
969 <instance class="html" src="small10.gif" width="386" height="150"/>
970 <instance class="pdf" src="small10.pdf" width="386" height="150"/>
973 <p>This vaulted, oblong-shaped hall is illuminated by flickerings of electrical fire which arc between two <!--ERRTAG-RA-90182-->freestanding<!--/ERRTAG-RA-90182--> pillars at the far end of the chamber. Beyond the pillars you can make out the shadowy entrance to another chamber; it is the only other exit from this hall. You realize at once that to pass between the pillars could prove to be fatal: the power arcing between them is as great as any lightning storm raging in the skies above Xaagon. Yet there may be a way of avoiding contact with this raw power. You notice that the two <!--ERRTAG-RA-90182-->freestanding<!--/ERRTAG-RA-90182--> pillars do not go all the way to the ceiling<ch.emdash/>there is a gap, a little over two feet wide above them.</p>
974 <choice idref="sect136">If you possess Kai-alchemy, and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 136</link-text>.</choice>
975 <choice idref="sect297">If you wish to attempt to climb one of the pillars and squeeze through the gap in order to reach the adjoining hall, <link-text>turn to 297</link-text>.</choice>
976 <choice idref="sect211">If you decide to throw caution to the wind and run between the pillars, <link-text>turn to 211</link-text>.</choice>
980 <section class="numbered" id="sect21">
981 <meta><title>21</title></meta>
984 <p>You are within a few dozen yards of the shoreline when you feel the body of a massive underwater creature come surging past. Battered by its swell, you fumble desperately to unsheathe your weapon as this fearsome monster circles around and comes powering through the dark water for a second attack.</p>
985 <combat><enemy>Ixian Gybia</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">50</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">60</enemy-attribute></combat>
986 <p>Reduce your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> by 4 points for the duration of this underwater combat, due to the lack of oxygen.</p>
987 <choice idref="sect138">You may attempt to evade combat after four rounds by <link-text>turning to 138</link-text>.</choice>
988 <choice idref="sect68">If you win the fight, <link-text>turn to 68</link-text>.</choice>
992 <section class="numbered" id="sect22">
993 <meta><title>22</title></meta>
996 <p>It is in the thirtieth hour of your air voyage that the <cite>Skyrider<ch.apos/>s</cite> eagle-eyed lookout catches his first glimpse of Vadera. Word spreads quickly and a hubbub of excitement grips the dwarven crew as the flying ship draws ever closer to the fortified walls and turrets of the Lencian capital.</p>
998 <illustration id="bw-small2" class="inline">
1000 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1002 <instance class="html" src="small2.gif" width="386" height="150"/>
1003 <instance class="pdf" src="small2.pdf" width="386" height="150"/>
1006 <p>Skilfully Bo<ch.apos/>sun Nolrim lands the <cite>Skyrider</cite> on the paved courtyard in front of the Vadera Citadel, which has been cleared of crowds in expectation of your arrival. Awaiting you is a party of stern-faced Vadera officials who, with a minimum of fuss, escort you and Banedon directly to the court of King Sarnac.</p>
1007 <p><quote>We are honoured to welcome you once again to our city, Grand Master,</quote> says the silver-haired King. <quote>My only regret is the reason for your visit. I<ch.apos/>d have hoped our meeting would have been in less ominous circumstances.</quote></p>
1008 <p>Formally you acknowledge the King<ch.apos/>s greeting; then you turn to face the elderly man who is standing beside the King<ch.apos/>s throne. You recognized him as soon as you entered the King<ch.apos/>s chamber<ch.emdash/>he is Lord Ardan, an Elder Magi from Dessi, one of Lord Rimoah<ch.apos/>s countrymen.</p>
1009 <p><quote>Well met, my Lord,</quote> you say, and Ardan returns your greeting with a smile. Sadly, his smile soon fades when he says: <quote>No doubt your able companion, Guildmaster Banedon, has told you of the rise of evil in Ixia. Dire news indeed, Grand Master, for it threatens our very existence, most especially the existence of our Lencian friends. If the Deathlord<ch.apos/>s power is allowed to grow unchecked, Lencia will be the first <!--ERRTAG-RE-93654-->Freeland state<!--/ERRTAG-RE-93654--> to suffer his wrath.</quote></p>
1010 <p><quote>I pledge to do all in my power to prevent such an outcome, my lord,</quote> you reply earnestly.</p>
1011 <p><quote>We have every faith in you, Lone Wolf,</quote> says King Sarnac, <quote>and we shall help you accomplish your mission in whatever way we can.</quote> He signals to one of his silver-armoured bodyguards and the soldier leaves the chamber. He returns shortly in the company of another man, clad in the court uniform of a Guard Captain.</p>
1012 <choice idref="sect305">If you took part in the Battle of Cetza, or have visited the city of Darke <!--ERRTAG-RE-94349-->in any previous <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> adventures<!--/ERRTAG-RE-94349-->, <link-text>turn to 305</link-text>.</choice>
1013 <choice idref="sect129"><!--ERRTAG-RE-94491-->If you did not<!--/ERRTAG-RE-94491-->, <link-text>turn to 129</link-text>.</choice>
1017 <section class="numbered" id="sect23">
1018 <meta><title>23</title></meta>
1021 <p>You utter a prayer to the Goddess Ishir to watch over your soul as you get ready to engage the attacking skeletal warriors.</p>
1022 <combat><enemy><!--ERRTAG-RE-94868-->Ixian Undead<!--/ERRTAG-RE-94868--></enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">48</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">55</enemy-attribute></combat>
1023 <p>You cannot evade this combat and must fight to the finish.</p>
1024 <choice idref="sect152">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 152</link-text>.</choice>
1028 <section class="numbered" id="sect24">
1029 <meta><title>24</title></meta>
1032 <p>You sense that the wisps of black smoke are a manifestation of several evil beings, each possessed of a strong psychic presence. Fearing attack, you quickly draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to construct a defensive wall to protect yourself from the possibility of psychic assault. It is a wise precaution, but one that proves ineffective against these powerful entities.</p>
1033 <p>Moments after your psychic wall is in place, the wisps streak across the chamber and encircle your body. They accelerate to a dizzying speed before launching a massive wave of psychic energy at your mind. This tidal wave batters <!--ERRTAG-RE-96008-->your Psi-screen<!--/ERRTAG-RE-96008--> and leaves you trembling with psychic shock: lose 8 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1035 <illustration class="float">
1037 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1039 <line>Six large, spindly-limbed black insectoids,</line>
1040 <line>each with a ghoulish head<ch.ellips/></line>
1043 <instance class="html" src="ill2.gif" width="386" height="571"/>
1044 <instance class="pdf" src="ill2.pdf" width="386" height="571"/>
1047 <p>As your shocked senses slowly return to normal, you see that the wisps of smoke have now solidified into six bodily forms. They have taken the appearance of large, spindly-limbed, black insectoids, each with a ghoulish <!--ERRTAG-RE-96797-->head from which<!--/ERRTAG-RE-96797--> composite eyes stare at you with evil intent. Chittering excitedly, the six creatures come stalking forwards, hungry for the kill.</p>
1048 <choice idref="sect98">If you wish to attempt to evade these hideous insectoids, <link-text>turn to 98</link-text>.</choice>
1049 <choice idref="sect244">If you have a <!--ERRTAG-RA-97160-->Bow<!--/ERRTAG-RA-97160-->, and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 244</link-text>.</choice>
1050 <choice idref="sect115">If you choose not to evade them, or make use of a <!--ERRTAG-RA-97160-->Bow<!--/ERRTAG-RA-97160-->, <link-text>turn instead to 115</link-text>.</choice>
1054 <section class="numbered" id="sect25">
1055 <meta><title>25</title></meta>
1058 <p>You shrug aside the warnings of your <!--ERRTAG-RE-97640-->Sixth Sense<!--/ERRTAG-RE-97640-->, assuming incorrectly that they relate to the danger posed to your safety by the advancing skeletal warriors. Unfortunately, you make a costly mistake. As your hand closes around the silvery rod, it discharges a second blast of energy which hits you squarely in the stomach and lifts you bodily off the floor with the numbing force of its impact: lose 10 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1059 <choice idref="sect306">If you survive this severe wounding, <link-text>turn to 306</link-text>.</choice>
1063 <section class="numbered" id="sect26">
1064 <meta><title>26</title></meta>
1067 <p>You crouch down amongst the foul-smelling debris which litters the floor of the hold, watching with bated breath as a dozen undead warriors enter by the stairs and begin a systematic search. Your Kai camouflage skills make you virtually invisible to the eye, but these undead Drakkarim no longer have eyes<ch.emdash/>they are using powerful psychic probes in an effort to locate you.</p>
1068 <choice idref="sect267">If you possess Kai-screen and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, <link-text>turn to 267</link-text>.</choice>
1069 <choice idref="sect2">If you do not possess this skill, or have yet to reach this level of <!--ERRTAG-RE-99039-->Kai Mastery<!--/ERRTAG-RE-99039-->, <link-text>turn to 2</link-text>.</choice>
1073 <section class="numbered" id="sect27">
1074 <meta><title>27</title></meta>
1077 <p>You reach down into the mire and unsheathe your weapon, but it has only just cleared the scabbard when a terrible pain knifes through your lower right leg. The unseen pit-beast has clamped its powerful jaws around your calf and is attempting to drag you below the surface of the bog. Desperately you stab blindly with your weapon at the creature<ch.apos/>s head in an attempt to cut yourself free from its vice-tight grip.</p>
1078 <combat><enemy>Suggaz</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">44</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">44</enemy-attribute></combat>
1079 <choice idref="sect67">If you win this fight, <link-text>turn to 67</link-text>.</choice>
1083 <section class="numbered" id="sect28">
1084 <meta><title>28</title></meta>
1087 <p>As the evil yellow eyes of the creature slowly draw closer, you are suddenly engulfed by a fetid corpse-like stench which makes you retch and recoil.</p>
1088 <choice idref="sect219">If you possess the Sommerswerd and wish to use it in your defence, <link-text>turn to 219</link-text>.</choice>
1089 <choice idref="sect89">If you do not possess this Special Item, or choose not to use it, <link-text>turn to 89</link-text>.</choice>
1093 <section class="numbered" id="sect29">
1094 <meta><title>29</title></meta>
1097 <p>Using your advanced knowledge of Brotherhood magic, you recite the words of the <!--ERRTAG-RE-100780-->spell <spell>Slow Fall</spell> and<!--/ERRTAG-RE-100780--> step into the gaping hole. Easily you glide down through the dust-choked air to land on the floor of the hall, fifty feet below.</p>
1098 <choice idref="sect62"><link-text>Turn to 62</link-text>.</choice>
1102 <section class="numbered" id="sect30">
1103 <meta><title>30</title></meta>
1106 <p>Using your Kai camouflage skills to minimize the risk of being seen, you climb down from the viewing platform and grab hold of a steel hawser which is securing the stern of the alien submarine to the jetty. Slowly you make your way along this great steel rope until you reach the jetty, where hurriedly you take cover among a stack of wooden crates and barrels. The jetty is teeming with undead soldiers who, under the direction of some spindly, black-clad creatures, are busily transferring materials to and from the open mouth of the submarine. Getting past them in order to reach the shore looks, at first sight, a near-impossible task. You are contemplating a swim to the shoreline, when suddenly you notice a means by which you could achieve your goal without getting wet.</p>
1107 <choice idref="sect207"><link-text>Turn to 207</link-text>.</choice>
1111 <section class="numbered" id="sect31">
1112 <meta><title>31</title></meta>
1115 <p>You raise your weapon as the first of the Drakkarim undead come within arm<ch.apos/>s reach. Then, with frightening speed, they leap upon you from all sides.</p>
1116 <combat><enemy>Undead Drakkarim Search Party</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">40</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">40</enemy-attribute></combat>
1117 <p>These beings are sensitive to all forms of psychic attack; double all normal bonuses.</p>
1118 <choice idref="sect324">If you win the fight, <link-text>turn to 324</link-text>.</choice>
1122 <section class="numbered" id="sect32">
1123 <meta><title>32</title></meta>
1126 <p>The bodies of the ghastly creatures undergo a swift and gruesome transformation upon the instant you deal them the <foreign>coup de gr<ch.acirc/>ce</foreign>. Their torsos implode with dramatic effect, and they barely have time to cry out in agony as their twisted remains hit the floor and crumble to dust.</p>
1128 <illustration id="bw-small10" class="inline">
1130 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1132 <instance class="html" src="small10.gif" width="386" height="150"/>
1133 <instance class="pdf" src="small10.pdf" width="386" height="150"/>
1136 <p>You sheathe your weapon and step away from the foul-smelling mounds of dust. Then you hurry out of this black-floored chamber by a short passage which leads into an adjoining hall. This vaulted, oblong shaped hall is illuminated by flickerings of electrical fire which arc between two <!--ERRTAG-RA-103910-->freestanding<!--/ERRTAG-RA-103910--> pillars at the far end of the chamber. Beyond the pillars you can make out the shadowy entrance to another chamber; it is the only other exit from this hall.</p>
1137 <p>You realize at once that to pass between the pillars could prove to be fatal: the power arcing between them is as great as the lightning storm which is raging in the skies above Xaagon. Yet there may be a way of avoiding contact with this raw power. You notice that the two <!--ERRTAG-RA-103910-->freestanding<!--/ERRTAG-RA-103910--> pillars do not go all the way to the ceiling<ch.emdash/>there is a gap, a little over two feet wide above them.</p>
1138 <choice idref="sect136">If you possess Kai-alchemy, and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 136</link-text>.</choice>
1139 <choice idref="sect297">If you wish to attempt to climb one of the pillars and squeeze through the gap in order to reach the adjoining hall, <link-text>turn to 297</link-text>.</choice>
1140 <choice idref="sect211">If you decide to throw caution to the wind and run between the pillars, <link-text>turn to 211</link-text>.</choice>
1144 <section class="numbered" id="sect33">
1145 <meta><title>33</title></meta>
1148 <p>The moment you smite Tagazin with your single, devastating blow, his body shatters into a million frozen pieces which cascade to the ground like an opaque crystal waterfall. You step back from his smashed and scattered remains, and glance skywards in time to see the second wave of Lavas come screaming out of the clouds. The sight makes you start and you take to your heels. You sprint the remaining few yards towards the Shadow Gate and, before the leading Lavas can block your escape, you dive headlong into its spinning core.</p>
1149 <choice idref="sect200"><link-text>Turn to 200</link-text>.</choice>
1153 <section class="numbered" id="sect34">
1154 <meta><title>34</title></meta>
1157 <p>You drag the bony bodies of the two undead Drakkarim guards into the chamber and close the door before continuing your exploration. You proceed warily, moving like a shadow through a series of dingy, ice-caked corridors that wend their way deeper into the bowels of this vast alien vessel. You encounter a confusing maze of empty holds where the walls are braced with gleaming crystal girders, and pass through countless low-ceilinged chambers that despite the biting chill, reek of death and decay. Eventually you come to a junction where the narrow corridor splits in <!--ERRTAG-RE-109630-->two directions.<!--/ERRTAG-RE-109630--></p>
1158 <choice idref="sect106">If you wish to take the left branch of this corridor, <link-text>turn to 106</link-text>.</choice>
1159 <choice idref="sect292">If you decide to take the right branch, <link-text>turn to 292</link-text>.</choice>
1163 <section class="numbered" id="sect35">
1164 <meta><title>35</title></meta>
1167 <p>The hideous creatures howl with glee as they fall upon you, like starving vultures descending upon a corpse.</p>
1168 <combat><enemy>3 Cabalah</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">56</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">54</enemy-attribute></combat>
1169 <p>These undead creatures are immune to <!--ERRTAG-RE-111090-->Mindblast, Psi-surge, and Kai-surge<!--/ERRTAG-RE-111090-->.</p>
1170 <choice idref="sect41">You may evade this combat after four rounds by <link-text>turning to 41</link-text>.</choice>
1171 <choice idref="sect293">If you win the fight, <link-text>turn to 293</link-text>.</choice>
1175 <section class="numbered" id="sect36">
1176 <meta><title>36</title></meta>
1179 <p>Quickly you make your way across the hall, <!--ERRTAG-RE-107138-->zigzagging<!--/ERRTAG-RE-107138--> to dodge pillars, chunks of stone, and the many bodies of Ixiataaga<ch.apos/>s former undead slave-warriors which are raining down from the shattered stairwell above. Assisted by your Kai Disciplines, eventually you reach the lowest level of the <!--ERRTAG-RE-108002-->Crystal Spire<!--/ERRTAG-RE-108002--> where the entrance hall and grand arch open out into the city. You are racing through a torrent of crystal dust towards the grand arch, the main exit, when a massive shock wave shakes the entire edifice. You are within seconds of escaping when, to your horror, you see the walls buckle and the grand arch begin to collapse.</p>
1180 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If your current <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points score is 14 or less, deduct 1 from the number you have picked. If you <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> score is 24 or higher, add 1.</p>
1181 <choice idref="sect316">If your total is now 3 or lower, <link-text>turn to 316</link-text>.</choice>
1182 <choice idref="sect193">If it is 4 or higher, <link-text>turn to 193</link-text>.</choice>
1186 <section class="numbered" id="sect37">
1187 <meta><title>37</title></meta>
1190 <p>The moment you slay the second wave of undead, a third wave presses forward. They clamber awkwardly over the heaped bodies of those you have destroyed, their bony hands brandishing rusty blades and their eyes burning with a cold, devilish fire.</p>
1191 <p>Seizing your only chance, you retreat from this onrushing horde and evade them by descending a stair which leads down into the ship<ch.apos/>s hold. Above, you can hear the frenzied shouts of the Lencian crewmen as they are engaged by the undead Drakkarim in fierce hand-to-hand combat. Then the clatter of steel-shod boots on the steps alerts you to the fact that the Drakkarim have not given up the chase. As they begin to descend, you quickly scan the gloomy hold for a place to hide.</p>
1192 <choice idref="sect208">If you possess Assimilance, <link-text>turn to 208</link-text>.</choice>
1193 <choice idref="sect26">If you do not possess this skill, <link-text>turn to 26</link-text>.</choice>
1197 <section class="numbered" id="sect38">
1198 <meta><title>38</title></meta>
1201 <p>You have taken only a few dozen steps in pursuit of the sickly <!--ERRTAG-RE-109561-->Demonlord<!--/ERRTAG-RE-109561--> and his golden-winged escorts, when your presence is betrayed by the aura of goodly light your body is radiating whilst on this plane of existence. A wave of alarm spreads through the escorts when they detect your aura, and many of them take to the sky. Directed by a vengeful Tagazin, they circle around you and come diving down to attack you with beak and claw.</p>
1202 <combat><enemy>Lavas</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">52</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">52</enemy-attribute></combat>
1203 <choice idref="sect105">If you win this combat, <link-text>turn to 105</link-text>.</choice>
1207 <section class="numbered" id="sect39">
1208 <meta><title>39</title></meta>
1211 <p>Drawing on your <!--ERRTAG-RE-110397-->Kai Mastery<!--/ERRTAG-RE-110397-->, you focus on the encroaching mist and detect strange movements in the ultraviolet spectrum of light. You cannot discern exactly what is moving out there, but you are certain of one thing: it is evil and it is drawing ever closer to Fort Azgad.</p>
1212 <p>You warn Captain Lanza and at first he does not believe you. He chuckles, saying that it is not uncommon for new arrivals to imagine they have seen all manner of spectres in the sea mists which swirl around the fort. But then a loud, discordant bell rings out from above, and Lanza<ch.apos/>s face is transfixed with shock.</p>
1213 <p><quote>By the gods!</quote> he <!--ERRTAG-RE-111096-->splutters. <quote>It<ch.apos/>s<!--/ERRTAG-RE-111096--> the alarm bell<ch.emdash/>we<ch.apos/>re under attack!</quote></p>
1214 <choice idref="sect181"><link-text>Turn to 181</link-text>.</choice>
1218 <section class="numbered" id="sect40">
1219 <meta><title>40</title></meta>
1222 <p><!--ERRTAG-RE-111431-->At the instant<!--/ERRTAG-RE-111431--> you strike Tagazin the killing blow, his body shatters into a million frozen pieces which cascade to the ground. The spiked helm drops on top of his pile of smashed remains, crowning them, as if it were a marker fashioned for the <!--ERRTAG-RE-111723-->Demonlord<ch.apos/>s<!--/ERRTAG-RE-111723--> grave.</p>
1223 <p>You look skywards to see the second wave of Lavas wheeling away in shocked disarray. They are visibly stunned by your unexpected victory and they flee to the safety of the clouds, fearful of tempting the fate that has befallen Tagazin.</p>
1224 <choice idref="sect164">If you possess the Sommerswerd, <link-text>turn to 164</link-text>.</choice>
1225 <choice idref="sect128">If you do not possess this Special Item, <link-text>turn to 128</link-text>.</choice>
1229 <section class="numbered" id="sect41">
1230 <meta><title>41</title></meta>
1233 <p>You dive over a low wall and roll across a mound of ancient rubble in order to break free from the fight. As you spring to your feet and sprint away, you draw on your Magnakai skills of camouflage and psychic defence to increase your chances of a successful escape. It is a wise move; the Cabalah give chase but they soon lose your trail as you make your way deeper into the ruins of Xaagon.</p>
1234 <choice idref="sect270"><link-text>Turn to 270</link-text>.</choice>
1238 <section class="numbered" id="sect42">
1239 <meta><title>42</title></meta>
1242 <p>You leap over the gunwale, through a blinding wall of flame, and hit the sea feet first. The frigid water is shockingly cold, but your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus protects you from its numbing chill and you are able to surface quickly. Burning chunks of timber and sailcloth rain down all around as you strike out towards a flight of stone steps that rise out of the sea to the top of the quay.</p>
1243 <p>Unfortunately, your escape from the blazing ice-boat does not go unnoticed. Upon reaching the steps you are met by a dozen skeletal warriors who are determined to slay you before you can haul yourself out of the icy water.</p>
1244 <combat><enemy><!--ERRTAG-RE-113672-->Ixian Undead<!--/ERRTAG-RE-113672--></enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">41</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">46</enemy-attribute></combat>
1245 <p>These beings are immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast. Also, because you are still in the icy water, you must reduce your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> by 5 for the duration of this combat.</p>
1246 <choice idref="sect109">If you win this fight, <link-text>turn to 109</link-text>.</choice>
1250 <section class="numbered" id="sect43">
1251 <meta><title>43</title></meta>
1254 <p>You draw your weapon and lash out with blinding speed, striking dozens of blows in a matter of seconds, in order to save yourself from these chittering horrors.</p>
1255 <combat><enemy>Dentaag</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">51</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">38</enemy-attribute></combat>
1256 <p>These beings are immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.</p>
1257 <choice idref="sect149">If you win the fight, <link-text>turn to 149</link-text>.</choice>
1261 <section class="numbered" id="sect44">
1262 <meta><title>44</title></meta>
1265 <p>For an hour you trek through a swirling white oblivion of a blizzard, trusting solely to your keen survival instincts to keep you safe from rock falls and hidden crevasses. Yet, despite your skills, it proves to be a difficult and treacherous journey: lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1266 <p>Gradually, the storm lifts its heavy yoke. Although snow continues to fall, the wind loses its angry intensity and, for the first time since you left the cave mouth, you are able to see more than a mile distant. As you crest an icy ridge, you stop to get your bearings. You look to the south and see the brooding, grey-black waters of the Tozaz Sea lapping at the ice-locked Ixian coastline. To the north and west you are surrounded by unfriendly mountains, and to the east, directly ahead, lies a pass which cuts between two viciously sharp peaks. Beyond the pass you catch your first tantalising glimpse of Xaagon<ch.emdash/>the city of the Deathlord.</p>
1267 <p>You establish that you are less than three miles from the crystal walls and monstrous towers of Xaagon. You resolve to try and reach the city before the storm resumes but, as you enter the pass, the blizzard returns with malicious vigour. Finding it impossible to continue, you stop and use your Kai skills in order to seek sanctuary from the raging storm.</p>
1268 <p>In this narrow pass you detect only two possibilities for shelter: a cave on the north side, and a circle of fallen rocks a few hundred yards away to the south.</p>
1269 <choice idref="sect253">If you wish to take shelter in the cave, <link-text>turn to 253</link-text>.</choice>
1270 <choice idref="sect197">If you choose to seek shelter among the rocks, <link-text>turn to 197</link-text>.</choice>
1274 <section class="numbered" id="sect45">
1275 <meta><title>45</title></meta>
1278 <p>Tagazin quickly recovers from your psychic attack and launches himself through the air at you, his clawed paws outstretched in readiness to tear your flesh.</p>
1280 <illustration class="float">
1282 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1284 <line>Tagazin launches himself through the</line>
1285 <line>air, clawed paws outstretched.</line>
1288 <instance class="html" src="ill3.gif" width="386" height="608"/>
1289 <instance class="pdf" src="ill3.pdf" width="386" height="608"/>
1292 <combat><enemy>Demonlord Tagazin</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">55</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">60</enemy-attribute></combat>
1293 <p>Before commencing the combat procedure, reduce your enemy<ch.apos/>s <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points score by the number you have noted in the margin of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>. You may use Kai-surge again to aid you during this combat.</p>
1294 <choice idref="sect168">If, at any time during this fight, you reduce Tagazin<ch.apos/>s <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points score to 25 or less, do not continue. <link-text>Turn instead to 168</link-text>.</choice>
1298 <section class="numbered" id="sect46">
1299 <meta><title>46</title></meta>
1302 <p>The metal door of this cell is sheathed with ice and there is no visible means of opening it only a hexagonal-shaped keyhole. You crouch down, so that your face is level with the keyhole; then you form your lips into an O-shape in readiness to utter the power word <!--ERRTAG-RE-118529-->battle-spell<!--/ERRTAG-RE-118529--> you once learned from Lord Rimoah. The instant the spell-thoughts focus in your mind, you project the <!--ERRTAG-RE-118714-->power word <spell>Gloar!</spell> at<!--/ERRTAG-RE-118714--> the keyhole.</p>
1303 <p>Use of this spell so soon after recovering consciousness costs you 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1304 <choice idref="sect174">Adjust your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> accordingly before <link-text>turning to 174</link-text>.</choice>
1308 <section class="numbered" id="sect47">
1309 <meta><title>47</title></meta>
1312 <p>You dive and roll over several times to avoid the onrushing bolt of energy. The massive flame-ball passes over your back and explodes through the far wall of the chamber with devastating effect. It tears open a hole in the steel-hard crystal measuring more than ten feet in diameter, and it fills the air with razor-sharp shards. You are peppered in the back by these splinters: lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1313 <p>As you stagger to your feet, you suddenly see an opportunity to seize the initiative and carry the attack to the Deathlord.</p>
1314 <choice idref="sect12"><link-text>Turn to 12</link-text>.</choice>
1318 <section class="numbered" id="sect48">
1319 <meta><title>48</title></meta>
1322 <p>As you strike down the last of your skeletal foes, you hear Captain Lanza<ch.apos/>s stirring <!--ERRTAG-RE-120076-->battle-cry<!--/ERRTAG-RE-120076--> ring out above the noise of the fighting: <quote>For Lencia and the House of Sarnac!</quote> Despite the odds, he and his men have beaten back the enemy and are now within a stone<ch.apos/>s throw of the quay. You rush to the end of the street and join them at a small flagstoned square, close to the harbour wall.</p>
1324 <illustration id="bw-small2" class="inline">
1326 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1328 <instance class="html" src="small2.gif" width="386" height="150"/>
1329 <instance class="pdf" src="small2.pdf" width="386" height="150"/>
1332 <p><quote>Captain<ch.emdash/>we must save the ice-boat!</quote> you shout, pointing to the ship which is being attacked by the skeleton horde. <quote>Indeed we must,</quote> he replies, dourly. He orders a handful of his men to form a protective wall around you and, the moment their shields lock together, you move with them towards the ice-boat.</p>
1333 <p>Twenty yards from the quayside, you break away from the wall and sprint towards the ship<ch.apos/>s gangplank. You are halfway along the plank when you find yourself confronted by a wedge of skeletal warriors, armed with crude axes and swords. You leap into their midst, striking them down with blurring speed and deadly accuracy. But as the last one falls, its corpse-like body almost severed at the waist, you hear a noise behind you which makes you spin around in fearful expectation.</p>
1334 <choice idref="sect78"><link-text>Turn to 78</link-text>.</choice>
1338 <section class="numbered" id="sect49">
1339 <meta><title>49</title></meta>
1342 <p>You rely on your natural agility to descend from the top of the pillar. You achieve the task swiftly, yet your continued close proximity to the deadly electrical rays takes its toll: lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1343 <p>The moment your feet touch the coal-black floor you hurry away towards the shadowy exit, eager to distance yourself from the debilitating power that is arcing between the pillars.</p>
1344 <choice idref="sect300"><link-text>Turn to 300</link-text>.</choice>
1348 <section class="numbered" id="sect50">
1349 <meta><title>50</title></meta>
1352 <p>The instant you twist the key in the lock, a stunning jolt of raw electrical power runs up your arm and across your chest. The sudden pain makes you cry out in shocked surprise and desperately you attempt to let go of the key. But it is no use<ch.emdash/>the current holds you firmly in its agonizing grip: lose 4 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1353 <p>Then you hear approaching footsteps and frantically you redouble your efforts to free your pain-numbed fingers from the electrified key. A troop of a dozen undead warriors appear on the landing and, upon seeing you, they come rushing forwards with swords drawn.</p>
1354 <combat><enemy><!--ERRTAG-RE-122808-->Ixian Undead<!--/ERRTAG-RE-122808--></enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">47</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">50</enemy-attribute></combat>
1355 <p>Due to your painful predicament, you must reduce your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> by 8 points for the duration of this combat.</p>
1356 <choice idref="sect103">If you win the fight, <link-text>turn to 103</link-text>.</choice>
1360 <section class="numbered" id="sect51">
1361 <meta><title>51</title></meta>
1364 <p>You take over control of the helm and send a man forward to the bow with instructions to keep his eyes on the ship<ch.apos/>s waterline. The vast bulk of any iceberg lies hidden beneath the surface and you are fearful that collision with a submerged ridge could rip the hull wide open. Guided by the man<ch.apos/>s shouted directions, and your own Magnakai skills, you steer the ship cautiously into a passage which is overshadowed on either side by two monstrous mountains of ice.</p>
1365 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you picked.</p>
1366 <choice idref="sect144">If your total score is now 5 or less, <link-text>turn to 144</link-text>.</choice>
1367 <choice idref="sect255">If it is 6<ch.endash/>8, <link-text>turn to 255</link-text>.</choice>
1368 <choice idref="sect97">If it is 9 or higher, <link-text>turn to 97</link-text>.</choice>
1372 <section class="numbered" id="sect52">
1373 <meta><title>52</title></meta>
1376 <p>The moment you step into the light, a wave of acute pain washes through your body as the curtain of shimmering radiance swallows you up. You writhe in agony as gravity releases its hold on your body, and you feel yourself begin to rise: lose 10 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1377 <p>You are on the threshold of unconsciousness when suddenly the light fades and you find yourself kneeling on a floor of black crystal, staring at the reflection of your pain-wracked face in its highly-polished surface. Wearily you raise your aching head and see, to your horror, a trio of undead creatures scurrying towards you from an open archway. They have barbed tridents clasped in their corpse-green hands, held raised in readiness to pin you to the floor.</p>
1378 <choice idref="sect287">If you possess a <!--ERRTAG-RE-125276-->Bow<!--/ERRTAG-RE-125276-->, and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 287</link-text>.</choice>
1379 <choice idref="sect96">If you possess Kai-surge, and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 96</link-text>.</choice>
1380 <choice idref="sect64">If you cannot, or if you choose not to use either of the above, then <link-text>turn to 64</link-text>.</choice>
1384 <section class="numbered" id="sect53">
1385 <meta><title>53</title></meta>
1388 <p>You cast the <!--ERRTAG-RE-125862-->Brotherhood Spell <spell>Strength</spell> upon<!--/ERRTAG-RE-125862--> yourself and, within seconds, your body surges with <!--ERRTAG-RE-125957-->newfound<!--/ERRTAG-RE-125957--> energy. You increase your pace until you are running at three times your previous speed. Within a matter of seconds you close upon Tagazin, your weapon drawn in preparation to strike at him as you pass by, but the <!--ERRTAG-RE-126227-->Demonlord<!--/ERRTAG-RE-126227--> sees you gaining on him and he stops to block your path. He is weaker than before, but he has lost none of his devilish cunning.</p>
1389 <p>As you come to within striking distance, suddenly he leaps at your chest and brings you crashing to the loamy ground.</p>
1390 <combat><enemy>Demonlord Tagazin (injured)</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">45</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">45</enemy-attribute></combat>
1391 <p>Conduct this combat for two rounds only.</p>
1392 <choice idref="sect252">If Tagazin is killed outright during either of these rounds, <link-text>turn to 252</link-text>.</choice>
1393 <choice idref="sect218">If not, <link-text>turn to 218</link-text>.</choice>
1397 <section class="numbered" id="sect54">
1398 <meta><title>54</title></meta>
1401 <p>As you reach out your hand towards the silvery rod, you suddenly hesitate<ch.emdash/>your Kai <!--ERRTAG-RE-127225-->Sixth Sense<!--/ERRTAG-RE-127225--> is warning you of imminent danger.</p>
1402 <choice idref="sect262">If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Telegnosis, <link-text>turn to 262</link-text>.</choice>
1403 <choice idref="sect25">If you do not possess this Discipline, <link-text>turn to 25</link-text>.</choice>
1407 <section class="numbered" id="sect55">
1408 <meta><title>55</title></meta>
1411 <p>You hurl yourself to the floor to avoid the onrushing bolt of energy, but your reactions are too slow. It catches you in the back and an explosion of white-hot fire obliterates your senses. In this terrifying instant, the light that is your life is snuffed out.</p>
1412 <p>Tragically, you have fallen victim to the power of the Deathstaff. Your life and your quest end here in the <!--ERRTAG-RE-128699-->Crystal Spire<!--/ERRTAG-RE-128699--> of Ixia.</p>
1416 <section class="numbered" id="sect56">
1417 <meta><title>56</title></meta>
1420 <p>As you hurry away from the cave mouth, you look back over your shoulder to see the Ixian Mhagani illuminated momentarily by a flash of lightning. It fills the entrance to the cave, and it is howling with glee at having successfully defended its evil-smelling lair.</p>
1422 <illustration id="bw-small12" class="inline">
1424 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1426 <instance class="html" src="small12.gif" width="386" height="122"/>
1427 <instance class="pdf" src="small12.pdf" width="386" height="122"/>
1430 <p>Denied shelter in the cave, you return to the bottom of the pass and seek cover among the circle of rocks which lie embedded in the ice on the southern face. When you are within a few dozen yards of the circle, you hear a deafening <!--ERRTAG-RE-128759--><onomatopoeia>crack!</onomatopoeia><!--/ERRTAG-RE-128759--> which sets your pulse racing. With that split-second warning, a huge expanse of rock and ice breaks away from the slopes above and swiftly transforms itself into a thundering avalanche. Wide-eyed with horror, you watch as a million tons of ice, snow, and shale comes rumbling down the mountainside towards you.</p>
1431 <p>Galvanized into action, you turn and run from this deadly white wall of destruction. It is almost upon you when you see a low shelf of rock near the base of the pass, and desperately you dive for cover beneath it.</p>
1432 <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 Nexus, you may add another 2.</p>
1433 <choice idref="sect99">If your total score is now 5 or lower, <link-text>turn to 99</link-text>.</choice>
1434 <choice idref="sect231">If it is 6<ch.endash/>9, <link-text>turn to 231</link-text>.</choice>
1435 <choice idref="sect104">If it is 10 or higher, <link-text>turn to 104</link-text>.</choice>
1439 <section class="numbered" id="sect57">
1440 <meta><title>57</title></meta>
1443 <p>Banedon tosses the box back on to the cluttered shelf and continues with his briefing. Having satisfied himself that you have adequate protection, he turns his attention to your weapons.</p>
1444 <p><quote>It concerns me greatly that so little is known of Xaagon<ch.emdash/>the Deathlord<ch.apos/>s city. There is no way of knowing what unholy breed of creature awaits you there. It seems that you can be confident of only one thing, Lone Wolf: whoever or whatever inhabits that dreadful place will surely be hostile to your presence. If you are to defeat the Deathlord of Ixia and his <!--ERRTAG-RE-130610-->minions, you<!--/ERRTAG-RE-130610--> will need a weapon of exceptional power<ch.emdash/>a weapon capable of destroying that which is already dead.</quote></p>
1445 <choice idref="sect339">If you possess the Sommerswerd, <link-text>turn to 339</link-text>.</choice>
1446 <choice idref="sect220">If you do not possess this Special Item, <link-text>turn to 220</link-text>.</choice>
1450 <section class="numbered" id="sect58">
1451 <meta><title>58</title></meta>
1454 <p>You leap among the mass of advancing undead with renewed vigour, chopping and hewing at their decaying bodies until barely a handful remain to confront you. Grudgingly they yield ground. You snarl at them, defiantly cursing the power which makes them live beyond the grave, and they pull back a few yards more as if to catch their breath before launching their next assault.</p>
1455 <p>You glance over your shoulder to see how the Lencian crew are faring but your eye is distracted by something glinting brightly in the dull light. It is a key, hanging from a chain strung around the neck of a slain undead warrior. You stoop to snatch up this key and, as your hand closes around its jade-green stem, you sense that it has magical properties. (If you wish to keep this Onyx Key, record it as a Special Item which you keep in the pocket of your tunic.)</p>
1456 <p>Moments later the undead renew their attack, clambering awkwardly over the heaped bodies of those you have destroyed, their eyes burning with cold fire. You retreat from this relentless enemy and evade them by descending a stair which leads down into the ship<ch.apos/>s hold. Above, you can hear the frenzied shouts of the Lencian crewmen as they are engaged by the undead Drakkarim in fierce hand-to-hand combat. Then you hear something else<ch.emdash/>the clatter of steel-shod boots on the steps, alerting you to the fact that your foes have not given up the chase. As they begin to descend, you quickly scan the gloomy hold for a place to hide.</p>
1457 <choice idref="sect208">If you possess Assimilance, <link-text>turn to 208</link-text>.</choice>
1458 <choice idref="sect26">If you do not possess this skill, <link-text>turn to 26</link-text>.</choice>
1462 <section class="numbered" id="sect59">
1463 <meta><title>59</title></meta>
1466 <p>With a jolt that leaves you gasping for breath, you hit the gluey surface of a stinking subterranean bog and sink in up to your neck. In the eerie half-light you can see the chaos horde above you, clustered around the edge of the square opening through which you fell. They are like excited spectators at a pit fight waiting for combat to begin.</p>
1467 <p>Suddenly you sense movement in the slime<ch.emdash/>something is brushing past your left thigh. You struggle to move but, in doing so, you cause your body to sink deeper into the mire.</p>
1468 <choice idref="sect15">If you possess Telegnosis, and have reached the rank of <!--ERRTAG-RE-133768-->Sun Lord or higher<!--/ERRTAG-RE-133768-->, <link-text>turn to 15</link-text>.</choice>
1469 <choice idref="sect176">If you possess Kai-alchemy, and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 176</link-text>.</choice>
1470 <choice idref="sect337">If you possess Animal Mastery, and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 337</link-text>.</choice>
1471 <choice idref="sect27">If you cannot, or choose not to use any of the above Disciplines, <link-text>turn instead to 27</link-text>.</choice>
1475 <section class="numbered" id="sect60">
1476 <meta><title>60</title></meta>
1479 <p>The creatures utter a chilling sound that resembles mocking laughter. Then, from pockets inside their tattered black robes, they draw silvery rods which they level menacingly at your head. Quickly you dive for cover
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