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+THE STORY SO FAR ...
+
+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 elite warrior caste.
+
+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 Naar - the King of the Darkness, to destroy the fertile world of Magnamund, have themselves since been destroyed. You vowed to avenge the murder of the Kai and you kept your pledge, for it was you who brought about their downfall when alone you infiltrated their foul domain - the Darklands and caused the destruction of their leader and the seat of his power that was the infernal city of Helgedad.
+
+In the wake of their destruction, chaos befell the Darkland armies who, until then, had been poised to conquer all of 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 allout civil war which allowed the freestate 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.
+
+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.
+
+Your attainment of the rank of Kai Grand Master brought with it great rewards. Some, such as the restoration of the Kai and the undying gratitude of your fellow Sommlending, could have been anticipated. Yet there have also been rewards which you could not possibly have foreseen. The discovery that within you lay the potential to develop Kai Disciplines beyond those of the Magnakai, which, until now, were thought to be the ultimate that a Kai Master could aspire to, was truly a revelation. Your discovery has inspired you to set out upon a new and previously unknown path in search of the wisdom and power that no Kai lord before you has ever possessed. In the name of your creator, the God Kai, and for the greater glory of Sommerlund and the Goddess Ishir, you have vowed to reach the very pinnacle of Kai perfection - to attain all of the Grand Master Disciplines and become the first Kai Supreme Master.
+
+With diligence and determination you set about the restoration of the Kai Monastery and 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 new-found 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.
+
+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 - Banedon and Rimoah - you worked hard to develop your innate Grand Master Disciplines, and grasp the fundamental secrets of Left-handed and Old Kingdom magic. During this time you noticed many remarkable changes taking place within your body: you became physically and mentally stronger, your five primary senses sharpened beyond all that you had experienced before, and, perhaps most remarkably, your body began to age at a much slower rate. Now, for every five years that elapse you age but one year.
+
+At this time many changes were occurring beyond the borders of Sommerlund. In the regions to the north-east of Magador and the Maakengorge, the Elder Magi of Dessi and the Herbwardens of Bautar were working together in an effort to restore the dusty volcanic wasteland to its former fertile state. It was the first tentative step towards the reclamation of all the Darklands. However, 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.
+
+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.
+
+Already your new-found skills have been tested against Naar'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's plans to revive Vashna, the greatest of all the Darklords, whose spirit is trapped deep within the fathomless reaches of the Maakengorge - the chasm of doom. Vashna'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's agents from summoning to Magnamund a demoness named Shamath from the Plane of Darkness. This supernatural creature possessed the Deathstaff - an artefact of great evil forged by Naar himself - with which she could have resurrected Vashna and his army from the Maakengorge. Yet your timely intervention destroyed the shadow gate 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.
+
+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 - the Deathstaff had reappeared in Magnamund. The threat to the peace of your fragile world was greater now than ever before.
+
+'When you destroyed the shadow gate at Maakengorge, Grand Master,' said Lord Rimoah, as the two of you discussed the matter in the secure privacy of your vault below the Kai Monastery, 'you banished Shamath to the void, hopefully for all eternity. Yet, alas, the weapon she possessed did not go with her. Naar's accursed Deathstaff has since returned to this world through another shadow gate, one that lies far away to the west, on a remote and icy peninsula that is called Ixia.'
+
+'My lord, do you wish me to go to Ixia - to find and destroy the Deathstaff before another of Naar's agents can use it against us? Is this why you have come seeking my help?' you replied, expecting Rimoah to affirm your assumption.
+
+'Partly so, my lord,' he said, holding you with his steel-grey eyes, 'but I fear that already it has fallen into the hands of an enemy - and one who is deadlier than even the demoness Shamath. What do you know of the Deathlord of Ixia?'
+
+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:
+
+The Deathlord of Ixia was once lieutenant to Agarash the Damned - the most powerful of all Naar's champions of evil,' said Rimoah, his head bowed as he paced the granite floor of your vault. '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. Many centuries later, when my ancestors defeated Agarash during the Age of the Old Kingdoms, 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's tomb - 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'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.'
+
+'My lord, are you telling me that the Deathlord of Ixia is now free of this prison and in possession of the Deathstaff?' you asked, fearing Lord Rimoah's reply.
+
+'Yes, Grand Master. I'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'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 'death fleet' 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.'
+
+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 freestate 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 freestate 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.
+
+'Only I can stop this,' you said, voicing your thoughts.
+
+^Yes, Grand Master. Only you,' replied Rimoah quietly.
+
+After a few moments' silence, Rimoah continued, 'In expectation of your decision, preparations have already been made for your journey, Grand Master. I trust this doesn't offend you?'
+
+You smiled your consent.
+
+'Good. Then I shall call upon Guildmaster Banedon - he knows of the Deathlord's rise and he has offered his ship Skyrider 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.'
+
+THE GAME RULES
+
+You keep a record of your adventure on the Action Chart that you will find in the front of this book. For ease of use, and for further adventuring, it is recommended that you photocopy these pages.
+
+For more than six years, ever since the demise of the Darklords of Helgedad, you have devoted yourself to developing further your fighting prowess - COMBAT SKILL - and physical stamina - ENDURANCE. Before you begin this Grand Master adventure you need to measure how effective your training has been. To do this, take a pencil and, with your eyes closed, point with the blunt end of it on to the Random Number Table on the last page of the book. If you pick a 0 it counts as zero.
+
+The first number that you pick from the Random Number Table in this way represents your COMBAT SKILL. Add 25 to the number you picked and write the total in the COMBAT SKILL section of your Action Chart (ie, if your pencil fell on the number 6 in the Random Number Table you would write in a COMBAT SKILL of 31). When you fight, your COMBAT SKILL will be pitted against that of your enemy. A high score in this section is therefore very desirable.
+
+The second number that you pick from the Random Number Table represents your powers of ENDURANCE. Add 30 to this number and write the total in the ENDURANCE section of your Action Chart (ie, if your pencil fell on the number 7 on the Random Number Table you would have 37 ENDURANCE points).
+
+If you are wounded in combat you will lose ENDURANCE points. If at any time your ENDURANCE points fall to zero, you are dead and the adventure is over. Lost ENDURANCE points can be regained during the course of the adventure, but your number of ENDURANCE points cannot rise above the number you have when you start an adventure.
+
+If you have successfully completed any of the previous adventures in the Lone Wolf series (Books 1-16), you can carry your current scores of COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE points over to Book 17. These scores may include Weaponmastery, Curing and Psi-surge bonuses obtained upon completion of Lone Wolf Kai (Books 1-5) or Magnakai (Books 6-12) adventures. 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 Action Chart (you are still limited to two Weapons, but you may now carry up to ten Backpack Items).
+
+However, only the following Special Items may be carried over from the Lone Wolf Kai (Books 1-5) and Magnakai (Books 6-12) series to the Lone Wolf Grand Master series (Book 13-onwards):
+
+Crystal Star Pendant
+Sommerswerd
+Silver Helm
+Silver Bracers
+Jewelled Mace
+Silver Bow of Duadon
+Korlinium Scabbard
+Kagonite Chainmail
+
+KAI & MAGNAKAI DISCIPLINES
+
+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.
+
+Weaponmastery
+
+Proficiency with all close combat and missile weapons. Master of unarmed combat; no COMBAT SKILL loss when fighting bare-handed.
+
+Animal Control
+
+Communication with most animals; limited control over hostile creatures. Can use woodland animals as guides and can block a non-sentient creature's sense of taste and smell.
+
+Curing
+
+Steady restoration of lost ENDURANCE points (to self and others) as a result of combat wounds. Neutralization of poisons, venoms and toxins. Repair of serious battle wounds.
+
+Invisibility
+
+Mask body heat and scent; hide effectively; mask sounds during movement; minor alterations of physical appearance.
+
+Huntmastery
+
+Effective hunting of food in the wild; increased agility; intensified vision, hearing, smell and night vision.
+
+Pathsmanship
+
+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.
+
+Psi-surge
+
+Attack enemies using the powers of the mind; set up disruptive vibrations in objects; confuse enemies.
+
+Psi-screen
+
+Defence against hypnosis, supernatural illusions, charms, hostile telepathy and evil spirits. Ability to divert and re-channel hostile psychic energy.
+
+Nexus
+
+Move small items by projection of mind power; withstand extremes of temperature; extinguish fire by force of will; limited immunity to flames, toxic gases and corrosive liquids.
+
+Divination
+
+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.
+
+GRAND MASTER DISCIPLINES
+
+Now, through the pursuit of new skills and the further development of your innate Kai abilities, you have set out upon a path of discovery that no other Kai Grand Master has ever attempted with success. Your determination to become the first Kai Supreme Master, by acquiring total proficiency in all twelve of the Grand Master Disciplines, is an awe-inspiring challenge. You will be venturing into the unknown, pushing back the boundaries of human limitation in the pursuit of greatness and the cause of Good. May the blessings of the gods Kai and Ishir go with you as you begin your brave and noble quest.
+
+In the years following the demise of the Darklords you have reached the rank of Kai Grand Defender, which means that you have mastered four of the Grand Master Disciplines listed below. It is up to you to choose which four Disciplines these are. As all of the Grand Master Disciplines will be of use to you at some point during your adventure, pick your four skills with care. The correct use of a Grand Master Discipline at the right time could save your life.
+
+When you have chosen your four Disciplines, enter them in the Grand Master Disciplines section of your Action Chart.
+
+
+Grand Weaponmastery
+
+This Discipline enables a Grand Master to become supremely efficient in the use of all weapons. When you enter combat with one of your Grand Master weapons, you add 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL. The rank of Kai Grand Defender, with which you begin the Grand Master series, means you are skilled in two of the weapons listed opposite and overleaf.
+
+SPEAR
+DAGGER
+MACE
+SHORT SWORD
+WARHAMMER
+BOW
+QUARTERSTAFF
+BROADSWORD
+AXE
+SWORD
+
+Animal Mastery
+
+Grand Masters have considerable control over hostile, non-sentient creatures. Also, they have the ability to converse with birds and fishes, and use them as guides.
+
+Deliverance (Advanced Curing)
+Grand Masters are able to use their healing power to repair serious battle wounds. If, while in combat, their COMBAT SKILL is reduced to 8 points or less, they can draw upon their mastery to restore 20 ENDURANCE points. This ability can only be used once every 20 days.
+
+Assimilance (Advanced Invisibility)
+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 which make them virtually undetectable in an open landscape.
+
+Grand Huntmastery
+
+Grand Masters are able to see in total darkness, and have greatly heightened senses of touch and taste.
+
+Grand Pathsmanship
+
+Grand Masters are able to resist entrapment by hostile plants, and have a super-awareness of ambush, or the threat of ambush, in woods and dense forests.
+
+Kai-surge
+
+When using their psychic ability to attack an enemy, Grand Masters may add 8 points to their COMBAT SKILL. For every round in which Kai-surge is used, Grand Masters need only deduct 1 ENDURANCE point. When using the weaker psychic attack Mind-blast they may add 4 points without loss of ENDURANCE points. (Kai-surge, Psi-surge and Mind-blast cannot be used simultaneously.)
+
+Grand Masters cannot use Kai-surge if their ENDURANCE score falls to 6 points or below.
+
+Kai-screen
+
+In psychic combat, Grand Masters are able to construct mind-fortresses capable of protecting themselves and others. The strength and capacity of these fortresses increases as a Grand Master advances in rank.
+
+Grand Nexus
+
+Grand Masters are able to withstand contact with harmful elements, such as flames and acids, for upwards of an hour in duration. This ability increases as a Grand Master advances in rank.
+
+Telegnosis (Advanced Divination)
+
+This Discipline enables a Grand Master to spirit-walk for far greater lengths of time, and with far fewer ill effects. Duration, and the protection of his inanimate body, increases as a Grand Master advances in rank.
+
+Magi-Magic
+
+Under the tutelage of Lord Rimoah, you have been able to master the rudimentary skills of battle magic, as taught to the Vakeros - the native warriors of Dessi. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of Old Kingdom magic increase.
+
+Kai-alchemy
+
+Under the tutelage of Guildmaster Banedon, you have mastered the elementary spells of Left-handed Magic, as practised by the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of Left-handed Magic increase, enabling you to craft new Kai weapons and artefacts.
+
+If you successfully complete the mission as set in Book 17 of the Lone Wolf Grand Master series, you may add a further Grand Master Discipline of your choice to your Action Chart in Book 18.
+
+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 COMBAT SKILL score and 2 points to your basic ENDURANCE 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
+Dawn of the Dragons.
+
+EQUIPMENT
+
+Before you set off on your long journey to Ixia you take with you a map of the area (see the inside front cover of this book) and a pouch of gold. To find out how much gold is in the pouch, pick a number from the Random Number Table 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 'Gold Crowns' section of your Action Chart.
+
+If you have successfully completed any of the previous Lone Wolf adventures (Books 1-16), 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 safe-keeping at your Monastery.
+
+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).
+
+BROADSWORD (Weapons)
+
+BOW (Weapons)
+
+QUIVER (Special Items) This contains six arrows, record them on your Weapons List.
+
+DAGGER (Weapons)
+
+SWORD (Weapons)
+
+2 MEALS (Meals) Each Meal takes up one space in your Backpack.
+
+ROPE (Backpack Item)
+
+POTION OF LAUMSPUR (Backpack Item) This potion restores 4 ENDURANCE points to your total when swallowed after combat. There is enough for only one dose.
+
+AXE (Weapons)
+
+List the four items that you choose on your Action Chart, under the appropriate headings, and make a note of any effect they may have on your ENDURANCE points or COMBAT SKILL.
+
+Equipment how to use it
+
+Weapons
+
+The maximum number of weapons that you can carry is two. 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 COMBAT SKILL. If you find a weapon during your adventure, you may pick it up and use it.
+
+Bows and Arrows
+
+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, and it is recommended that you also equip yourself with a close combat weapon, such as a sword or an axe.
+
+In order to use a bow you must possess a quiver and at least one arrow. Each time the bow is used, erase an arrow from your Action Chart. 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.
+
+If you have the Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery with a bow, you may add 3 points to any number that you pick from the Random Number Table, when using the bow.
+
+Backpack Items
+
+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.
+
+Any item that may be of use, and which can be picked up on your adventure and entered on your Action Chart is given either initial capitals (eg Gold Dagger, Magic Pendant), or is clearly labelled as a Backpack Item. Unless you are told that it is a Special Item, carry it in your Backpack.
+
+Special Items
+
+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.
+
+Food
+
+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 ENDURANCE points. However, if you have chosen the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you will not need to tick off a Meal when instructed to eat.
+
+Potion of Laumspur
+
+This is a healing potion that can restore 4 ENDURANCE points to your total when swallowed after combat. There is enough for only one dose. If you discover any other potion during the adventure, you will be informed of its effect. All potions are Backpack Items.
+
+RULES FOR COMBAT
+
+There will be occasions during your adventure when you have to fight an enemy. The enemy's COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE points are given in the text. Lone Wolf's aim in the combat is to kill the enemy by reducing his ENDURANCE points to zero while losing as few ENDURANCE points as possible himself.
+
+At the start of a combat, enter Lone Wolf\92s and the enemy's ENDURANCE points in the appropriate boxes on the 'Combat Record' section of your Action Chart.
+
+The sequence for combat is as follows:
+
+1. Add any extra points gained through your Grand Master Disciplines and Special Items to your current COMBAT SKILL total.
+
+2. Subtract the COMBAT SKILL of your enemy from this total. The result is your Combat Ratio. Enter it on the Action Chart.
+
+Example
+
+Lone Wolf (COMBAT SKILL 32) is attacked by a pack of Doomwolves (COMBAT SKILL 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 Doom-wolves are not immune, so Lone Wolf adds 3 points to his COMBAT SKILL, giving him a total COMBAT SKILL of 35.
+
+He subtracts the Doomwolf pack's COMBAT SKILL from his own, giving a Combat Ratio of +5. (35-30= +5). +5 is noted on the Action Chart as the Combat Ratio.
+
+3. When you have your Combat Ratio, pick a number from the Random Number Table.
+
+4. Turn to the Combat Results Table on the inside back cover of this book. 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 ENDURANCE 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.)
+
+Example
+
+The Combat Ratio between Lone Wolf and the Doomwolf Pack has been established as +5. If the number taken from the Random Number Table is a 2, then the result of the first round of combat is:
+
+Lone Wolf loses 3 ENDURANCE points (plus an additional 1 point for using Kai-surge).
+Doomwolf Pack loses 7 ENDURANCE points.
+
+5. On the Action Chart, mark the changes in ENDURANCE points to the participants in the combat.
+
+6. Unless otherwise instructed, or unless you have an option to evade, the next round of combat now starts.
+
+7. Repeat the sequence from Stage 3.
+
+This process of combat continues until ENDURANCE points of either the enemy or Lone Wolf are reduced to zero, at which point the one with the zero score is declared dead. If Lone Wolf is dead, the adventure is over. If the enemy is dead, Lone Wolf proceeds but with his ENDURANCE points reduced.
+
+A summary of Combat Rules appears on the page after the Random Number Table.
+
+Evasion of combat
+
+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 ENDURANCE points during that round (but then that is the risk of running away!). You may only evade if the text of the particular section allows you to do so.
+
+LEVELS OF KAI GRAND MASTERSHIP
+
+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 complete each adventure in the Lone Wolf Grand Master series successfully, you will gain an additional Grand Master Discipline and progress towards the pinnacle of Kai perfection - becoming a Kai Supreme Master.
+
+No. of Grand
+Master Disciplines
+Acquired Grand Master Rank
+
+1 Kai Grand Master Senior
+
+2 Kai Grand Master Superior
+
+3 Kai Grand Sentinel
+
+4 Kai Grand Defender - You begin the Lone Wolf Grand Master adventures at this level of Mastery
+
+5 Kai Grand Guardian
+
+6 Sun Knight
+
+7 Sun Lord
+
+8 Sun Thane
+
+9 Grand Thane
+
+10 Grand Crown
+
+11 Sun Prince
+
+12 Kai Supreme Master
+
+IMPROVED GRAND MASTER DISCIPLINES
+
+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.
+
+If you are a Grand Master who has reached the rank of Sun Thane, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:
+
+Animal Mastery
+
+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.
+
+Deliverance
+
+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.
+
+Grand Huntmastery
+
+Kai Sun Thanes with this skill are able to protect themselves from the effects of being struck by natural electrical discharges, ie. lightning.
+
+Grand Pathsmanship
+
+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.
+
+Kai-screen
+
+Sun Thanes who possess this Discipline are able to erect a special psychic defence called 'Mindfort'. A Mindfort defence greatly reduces the effects of any psychic shock that would normally paralyse or weaken a lesser mortal.
+
+Kai-alchemy
+
+Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Thane are able to use the following Brotherhood spells:
+
+Slow Fall - 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.
+
+Breathe Water - 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.
+
+The nature of any additional improvements and how they affect your Grand Master Disciplines will be noted in the 'Improved Grand Master Disciplines' section of future Lone Wolf books.
+
+GRAND MASTER'S WISDOM
+
+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.
+
+Some of the things that you will encounter during your mission will be of use to you in this and future Lone Wolf 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.
+
+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 COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE scores may be. Successful completion of previous Lone Wolf adventures, although an advantage, is not essential for the completion of this adventure.
+
+May the light of Kai and Ishir be your guide as you venture into the darkness of Ixia.
+
+For Sommerlund and the Kai!
+ -->
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