Let's Play Lone Wolf

[pi4t 6]

We drop the Spear

Ok, 0-4 we pull away, 5-9 we attack!

1. Ok. Let's pull free of his grasp.

160

'Forgive me my lord, I did not mean to startle you.' The man seems nervous, and the open hand that is extended towards you is shaking quite visibly.

With some caution you accept the gesture of friendship, and sit with the man at a tavern table. The place is deserted save for a couple of mice gnawing at a large chunk of cheese.

'Captain Kelman has instructed me to take you to the Green Sceptre, but only if I am sure that you are the Kai Lord they call Lone Wolf. Can you prove your identity?' You decide you must show your mastery of one of your Kai Disciplines.

If you wish to demonstrate your Kai Discipline of Healing, turn to 16.

If you wish to demonstrate your Kai Discipline of Mindblast, turn to 133.

If you wish to demonstrate your Kai Weaponskill, turn to 255.

If you wish to demonstrate your Kai Discipline of Animal Kinship, turn to 203.

If you wish to demonstrate your Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter, turn to 48.

If you do not possess any of the above Kai skills, or if you do not wish to demonstrate your skill, turn to 348.

The disciplines we can use are Healing, Mindblast and Weaponskill, incidentally. Or we can choose not to demonstrate our skills at all.

[Hiebe 2493]

Weapon !

[James Undercroft 129]

Healing! Rawr!

And See Hiebe! I was right! He was a friendly! *Acts like a 3 year old and teases you*

[pi4t 6]

0-4 Weaponskill, 5-9 Healing.

3. I guess we're going with Weaponskill!

255

Taking hold of your weapon, you demonstrate the Kai skills of balance and speed, as taught to you by your Kai masters. With breathtaking speed, as you spin and twist the weapon around your head and body, the movement of your hands becomes a dazzling blur. To finish your display of Weaponskill, you strike the edge of a pewter plate and send it spinning across the room so fast that it embeds itself in the cellar door.

The sailor watches in amazement.

Turn to 268.

Quite impressive, specially considering that we're using a quarterstaff! Do notice, though, that the book doesn't state that you have to have the weapon you're skilled in to use the skill here.

268

'You are indeed a Kai Lord,' says the sailor, but the astonishment on his face quickly changes to an unpleasant sneer.

'Or should I say you were!'

As he speaks, a door crashes open behind you and you turn to see three harbour thugs advancing towards you. Each is armed with a scimitar and you have no choice but to fight all three as one enemy.

Harbour Thugs: COMBAT SKILL 16 ENDURANCE 25

You may evade after two rounds of combat by running through a side door. Turn to 125.

If you win this combat, turn to 333.

Well, ok, our first combat!

CR = 18-16 = 2

Our E total = 22/22

Harbour Thugs' E total = 25/25

This shouldn't be too tricky.

Round 1

Random number = 5

We take 2 damage = 20/22

Harbour Thugs take 8 damage = 17/25

Round 2

Random number = 3

We take 3 damage = 17/22

Harbour Thugs take 6 damage = 11/25

Well, we can now evade combat if we like. We'll have to fight for one more round (during which we don't deal damage, either), but then we should get away. Of course, we lose any reward we might get for killing them...

Evade, or keep fighting?

[Hiebe 2493]

Keep fighting and yeah..... he was evil....

[pi4t 6]

Round 3

Random Number = 4

We take 3 damage = 14/22

Harbour Thugs take 7 damage = 4/25

Round 4

Random Number = 9

We take 0 damage = 14/22

Harbour Thugs take 12 damage = DEAD!

Our E = 14/22

Not too tricky...

333

The sailor who claimed to be First Mate Ronan seems to have escaped during the fight. You quickly search the bodies of the harbour thugs, but find nothing of value. However, you do notice that each of them has a tattoo of a serpent on their left wrist. Whoever sent them to kill you must already know of the importance of your quest.

You leave the tavern by the side door and discover the dead body of a sailor lying beneath some stairs. Inside the collar of his bloodstained jacket is a tag bearing the name 'Ronan'. This must be the real Ronan. He has been murdered. You cover the body and turn towards the quay, where the Green Sceptre is anchored about three hundred yards from the harbour wall.

If you wish to use one of the many small boats or coracles that are roped to the quayside, turn to 300.

If you wish to hunt down the impostor who pretended to be Ronan, turn to 67.

So, potentially important information, and a potentially important choice. Oh, and we gain 1E from Healing = 15/22

[Hiebe 2493]

300 that guy is long gone

[pi4t 6]

300

As you paddle towards the sleek trade caravel, you notice to your surprise that the boarding ladder is being pulled up. A mean-looking sailor leans over the gunwale and curses at you. He seems to think that you are a refugee trying to stowaway on board. But when you shout that you are Lone Wolf and you were ambushed by an impostor at the tavern, the ladder is soon lowered again. As you climb over the side of the ship, you are met by a tall man in a gold-braided uniform. His face is almost totally covered by a shock of bright red hair and a bright red beard.

'Haul anchor!' he booms. The crew spring into action as if their very lives depended on it.

The captain ushers you below to his cabin where he pours two glasses of wanlo, a strong spirit. His face shows concern as you tell him what has happened.

'There is evil treachery at work and the enemy already has plans afoot to thwart your quest,' he begins when you've told your tale. 'It seems that you have lost the element of surprise--and I have lost a courageous first mate. Let us only hope that the voyage to Durenor be swift and safe.'

You leave him to go up on deck just in time to see the outline of Holmgard on the horizon. With mixed feelings of pride and apprehension, you descend the stairway to your cabin as the last spire of the capital disappears from view.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If the number that you have picked is 0-1, turn to 224.

If the number is 2-3, turn to 316.

If the number is 4-5, turn to 81.

If the number is 6-7, turn to 22.

If the number is 8-9, turn to 99.

We gain 1E: 16/22

Yay for random encounters! We get a 3.

316

The following morning you are woken by the cry of the ship's lookout high in the crow's nest: 'Ship ahoy! Ship off the starboard bow!'

You climb up on deck and brace yourself against the fresh sea breeze. On the horizon, you can see the wooded coastline of eastern Sommerlund, but in the middle distance is a merchant ship that looks badly damaged. It is low in the water and has only one mast remaining intact. It flies the flag of Durenor but the flag is upside down, a signal of distress.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If the number you have picked is 0-4, turn to 107.

If the number is 5-9, turn to 94.

Yay for more randomness in the encounter!

We get a 5. Is that good?

17/22

94

You urge the captain to investigate the vessel, but he ignores your plea and orders the crew to continue with their duties. As the trading ship disappears from view, you stare at it and wonder why the captain was so reluctant to do anything.

You descend below deck and take care to lock the door of your cabin behind you.

Turn to 240.

Apparently it wasn't good. Still, we didn't have to have a fight, so it could have been worse.

18/22

240

After three uneventful days at sea, you find shipboard life rather dreary. If you have the Kai Discipline of Healing, any ENDURANCE points that you may have lost on your adventure so far are restored. This will bring your ENDURANCE points score back to your original one. If you do not possess the skill, restore half of any points you have lost in combat.

On the afternoon of the fourth day, you are talking with an injured sailor up on deck when you smell smoke seeping from the hold.

If you wish to enter the hold, turn to 29.

If you wish to shout 'Fire!' turn to 236.

If you wish to warn the captain, turn to 101.

We gain full E 22/22. Yay for healing! And yay for fire! Actually, no, definitely not yay for fire. Well, at least we know where the book's name came from... How do we deal with this situation?

[Hiebe 2493]

Holy **** fire !!!!!

[James Undercroft 129]

I vote warn the captain XD It could just be someone smoking, but I am doubtful :P

[pi4t 6]

Hiebe, since you didn't vote for anything, I guess we're warning the captain!

101

As you burst into his cabin, the captain looks up in surprise from his chart table. 'Fire in the hold,' you gasp, breathless from your run.

In an instant, the captain is through the door and ordering the crew to fill buckets with water and gather blankets to smother the fire. By the time you reach the forward hold, the smoke is dense. Suddenly the ship is thrown into a frenzy as flames erupt from the hatch cover. It takes over an hour to contain the blaze and the damage is great. The entire store of food and fresh water was in that hold, and the hull has been badly weakened.

The captain climbs out of the smoking hold and approaches you, his face black with soot. He is carrying something in a bundle under his arm. 'We must talk in private, my lord,' he says quietly. Without replying, you turn and follow him to his cabin.

Turn to 222.

Ooh, this sounds interesting!

222

After taking care to close his door, the captain opens the mysterious bundle and tips the contents onto his cabin table. A large charred earthenware jug and several blackened rags drop in a heap. They give off a strange oily smell.

'This was no accidental fire,' he says solemnly. 'This was an act of sabotage. The forward hold is a food store yet I find this oil jug and these soaked rags upon the floor. Someone on this ship is prepared to risk his life to stop us reaching Durenor.'

You both stare at the burnt rags as if they hold the answer to your questions. Suddenly a cry from up on deck breaks the silence.

'Ship Ahoy! Ship off the port bow!'

Grabbing his sword and telescope, the captain disappears through the door and up the ladder to the deck above.

If you wish to follow him, turn to 175.

If you would rather make a quick search of his cabin, turn to 315.

Ok, we now have a glorious opportunity to...do whatever we like. Well, between two options, anyway.

[Hiebe 2493]

I yelled fire but ok

175

[pi4t 6]

Sorry, I didn't realise that message was in charater. They both work out the same anyway, actually, so no harm done. I'll give Lucas a bit more time to respond, then update.

[James Undercroft 129]

Let's follow him: 175 XD

[pi4t 6]

175

'It seems our bird has flown,' says the captain, pointing to a longboat moving swiftly towards another ship on the horizon. 'She flies no flag, and her hull is of a strange shape. I've ne'er before seen the like.'

You watch as the longboat reaches the mysterious ship. As if by magic a sea fog appears from nowhere and engulfs the vessel. Moments later, both the ship and the fog have disappeared.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If the number you have picked is 0-4, turn to 53.

If the number is 5-9, turn to 209.

More randomness!

1

53

You hear whispering among the crew and catch the words 'ghost-ships' and 'cursed voyage', but the whispering stops when the captain's voice calls for all hands on deck. A silence descends on the Green Sceptre as Captain Kelman addresses the crew in a loud voice.

'Men, we are three days' sail from Port Bax, but with a strong wind and a stout heart we'll drop anchor and feast there in two. The fire has claimed many of our provisions and rations are hereby cut to one meal a day. A guard shall be placed upon the freshwater cask. But we are strong. We shall endure. Any man found thieving will receive a hundred lashes. That is all.' The crew seem unhappy at the captain's decision, but none of them dares to challenge his authority.

Later that afternoon, you are invited by both the crew and by the captain to take your evening meal with them.

If you wish to eat with the captain, turn to 321.

If you wish to eat with the crew, turn to 154.

Oh dear, this isn't too good. Well, we're only three days out, we can make it...

For now, who are we taking our only meal with?