Let's Play Lone Wolf

[CowsGoMoo 267]

ATTTTTTTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACKKKKK!

[pi4t 6]

Ok. Let's attack the wizard!

73

The climb is very difficult, for you have only one free hand--the other holds the glowing hilt of the Sommerswerd.

You eventually reach the rim of the tower and quickly hook a leg over the narrow ledge. You are about to jump into the tower and attack when a thin voice makes you freeze.

'How I shall delight in the irony of your death, Lone Wolf.'

The sorcerer is standing in the far corner of the tower, his left hand pointing at your head. 'Your quest has failed Lone Wolf. Now you must die!'

A blinding flash of orange flame shoots from his hand towards your face.

Turn to 336.

Erm, guys? Are you sure the book wasn't offering the sea route as a 'get out of here, you fool' option?

336

In a fraction of a second, the searing burst of flame changes direction in mid-air and is drawn towards the blade of the Sommerswerd. The bolt of energy disappears into the golden blade like water into a drain. (You remember that the Sommerswerd has the power to absorb magic. This power has saved you from certain death.)

The sorcerer curses you, pulls a jewel from his ornate tokmor and throws it at your feet. There is a flash of flame and a cloud of choking green gas billows up in your face, filling your nostrils with its acidic smell. You are forced to jump to the deck below to avoid the poisonous gas, and you just catch a glimpse of the sorcerer as he frantically paddles a small boat away from the death-hulk flagship.

If you wish to dive into the sea and swim after him, turn to 109.

If you wish to fight your way back to a Durenese warship, turn to 185.

Nah, of course it wasn't. Why would it do that? Anyway, do we chase the wizard that may be plot protected, or try to get back to our fleet? Also, notice that neither of these options lead to 267!

[chaotikal 2392]

Swim!

[CowsGoMoo 267]

Go after the wizard, let's DESTROY that fleeing WIMP.

>:o

[chaotikal 2392]

Yeah, he could shoot at the boat again! and we must be HEROES!

[Hiebe 2493]

What te hell we might drown but eh worth a shot ATTACK THE WIMPY WIZARD!

[James Undercroft 129]

He thinks that he can escape us? Bahahaha! We must destroy him!

[pi4t 6]

Ok, let's attack the wizard! He has no chance of escaping, surely?

109

Blinking the foul water from your eyes, you can see that the flagship of the death-hulk fleet is now ablaze. Black smoke is pouring from the decks, and tongues of orange and yellow flame flicker from its rotten black hull.

Suddenly, you are aware of the beating of wings directly above you. You are shocked to see a Kraan hovering above, trying to grab at you with its sharp claws. Its hooked talons catch your cloak and suddenly you are snatched up into the air. But it is to be a short flight. You draw the Sommerswerd and sink it into the soft belly of the creature. With a shriek of agony, it releases its grip and you fall. You pray that luck will be on your side and that you will land safely.

Turn to 120.

Stupid plot device.

120

Luck is with you, for you land safely on the deck of the Kalkarm, a Durenese warship. The soldiers here have been involved in a desperate battle but have fought off the enemy and are cutting the grappling ropes that hold the ship to a death-hulk. From out of the smoke strides Lord Axim, his face bloodied and his shield badly scarred.

‘Thank the gods you are alive, Lone Wolf. The fight has been bitter and our losses are high, but I am heartened indeed to see you standing before me now,’ he says and leads you to the ship’s rail. ‘Look yonder, their flagship is ablaze.’

Through the fog of war you can see that the huge death-hulk is slowly sinking beneath a plume of dense black smoke. The Kalkarm is eventually freed and slowly it manoeuvres out of the tangle of wreckage. A wind begins to stir, filling its tattered sails and carrying away the smoke of battle. Lord Axim orders the Royal Arms of Durenor to be hoist aloft so that other ships can rally to the Kalkarm. For the first time since the battle began, you can now see the other Durenese ships. It is an amazing sight for as the enemy flagship sinks beneath the waves, so every death-hulk on the horizon returns to its watery grave.

‘Their sorcery is broken. We have won this battle,’ says Lord Axim. And within a few minutes, not one of the death-hulks remains afloat.

Turn to 225.

Well, we lost Vonotar, but then again, we've managed to keep at least some of the fleet afloat.

225

Seventy Durenese warships left Port Bax, but only fifty now enter the Holmgulf. The battle has claimed many brave men including Admiral Calfen, who died aboard the flagship Durenor, the first ship to be sunk. But despite the heavy loss, a great victory has been won, a victory which inspires the Durenese soldiers with new strength so that the past ordeal of both the voyage and the battle are now forgotten. As their optimism and determination return, all are eager to reach Holmgard and raise the siege.

It is dusk on the thirty-seventh day of your quest when you sight the spires of Holmgard on the horizon. The city still stands defiantly against the army of Darklords, although constantly under siege. Flickering in the darkness you can see the small fires which burn throughout the capital. A confident Lord Axim joins you at the prow.

‘The moonless sky will aid us this night. We shall enter the harbour unseen. Come the dawn, my men will scatter the wretched foe like dead leaves upon the wind of a storm.’

As you enter Holmgard harbour at the head of the Durenese fleet, you unsheathe the Sommerswerd and prepare to fulfil your destiny.

Turn to 350.

350! But that means...

350

Holmgard has suffered much since your departure. Many of the shops and houses you remember passing on your way to the quay, are little more now than heaps of ashes. The Darklords’ army with their evil engines of war surround the walls, and the flaming arcs of fireballs shooting through the air continually light the night sky as they rain down on the streets below. The people fight the fire as best they can, but they are hungry and exhausted and close to surrender. At first, as it enters the harbour, the fleet is mistaken for the enemy and cries of despair can be heard all along the quay. But as the first of the soldiers set foot in the city and unfurl the royal arms of Durenor, the news of your return spreads quickly. The cries of despair have changed to a chorus of cheers: ‘The Kai Lord has returned.’

You are standing at the top of the great watchtower, high above the main gate of the city, when the first light of dawn creeps slowly over the horizon. Thousand upon thousand of the black-clad enemy are massed around the city wall, huddled like beetles in the trenches that cover the plain. In the midst of this horde, a great red tent has been erected bearing the symbol of a broken skull. It is the mark of Zagarna, Lord of Kaag, a Darklord of Helgedad. His great ambition is the destruction of Holmgard; his fiercest desire to lead his army to victory over the House of Ulnar and claim Sommerlund for his own.

But victory is not to be his this day. Raising the Sommerswerd high above your head, a shaft of dawn sunlight catches upon the tip of the golden sword and a brilliant flash of blinding white flame runs the entire length of the blade. The power of the Sommerswerd electrifies you. Your senses reel and now your body reacts instinctively. You lower the Sommerswerd and point the blade towards the tent of Lord Zagarna. There is a mighty roar as the power of the sun-sword is unleashed in a searing white beam. The tent explodes and a brilliant fireball of white flame mushrooms skyward. A long and terrible cry rends the air. It is Lord Zagarna. The leader of the evil army is no more.

Gripped with fear and panic, the vast black army rise up and run in chaos from the city wall. The impossible has happened, their invincible master is slain. Again the Sommerswerd has returned to defeat them. The army and the allies of Durenor ride out of the city gates in pursuit of the panic-stricken enemy as they run blindly towards the Durncrag Mountains. The victory is yours. Holmgard is saved and the murder of the Kai has finally been avenged.

But for you, Lone Wolf, a life of high adventure has only just begun. A new challenge awaits you and the Sommerswerd in Book Three of the Lone Wolf series:

The Caverns of Kalte

We win book 2!!!

Expect the first section of TCoK later today.

[pi4t 6]

And on with book 3! Starting, as always, with The Story So Far:

The Story So Far … 

In the northern land of Sommerlund, it had been the custom for many centuries to send the children of the Warrior Lords to the monastery of Kai. There they were taught the skills and disciplines of their noble fathers.

You are Lone Wolf, and you are now the last of the Warrior Lords of Sommerlund. One year ago, the ancient enemy of your people—the Darklords of Helgedad—suddenly invaded Sommerlund and completely devastated the Kai Monastery. All of the Kai warriors were in attendance for the feast of Fehmarn, and all except you were massacred.

You fought your way to Holmgard, the capital of your country, where the King sent you upon a desperate quest for help. Your mission was fraught with great danger, for Sommerlund had been betrayed by one of its own magicians—Vonotar the Traitor. His agents sought to kill you at every opportunity, but your skill and strength defeated their evil aims. You returned to Holmgard at the head of a great fleet—the allies of Durenor—and destroyed the Darklord army that besieged your capital.

Much of Sommerlund was ruined by the war. The rich farmlands were laid waste and many towns were razed to the ground. But the Sommlending are a tough people and were undaunted by the enormous task that lay ahead. They set about the rebuilding of war-torn Sommerlund with such determination that now, one year later, few of the scars of war remain visible.

For the crucial part that you played in the victory, the King has bestowed upon you the rank and title of ‘Fryearl of Sommerlund’, a rare honour for one so young. The ruins of the Kai Monastery and much of the surrounding lands are now ‘Fryelund’ under your protection.

Work to rebuild the monastery was about to commence when disturbing news from the north prompted the King to summon you to the capital. Many merchants, returning from the summer trading expeditions to Kalte, told of the fall of the Brumalmarc—the leader of the Ice Barbarians. The description of the hunchbacked magician who has succeeded the fierce Brumalmarc fits only one man—Vonotar the Traitor.

After the defeat of the Darklords, Vonotar escaped to the frozen wastes of Kalte. He made his way to the ice fortress of Ikaya where, through deception, he tricked the cruel Brumalmarc into adopting him as his magician. It was a mistake that was to cost the barbarian leader his fortress and his life.

The news that Vonotar still lives spreads like wildfire throughout Sommerlund. Thousands of Sommlending surround the capital and demand that Vonotar be made to pay for his treachery. So great is the outcry that the King is obliged to promise that the evil traitor will be brought back to Holmgard, and made to stand trial for his crimes.

For you, Lone Wolf, the King’s promise is the start of a quest that will pit you against a hated foe, deep within the hostile Caverns of Kalte.

Ok, so NOW we get to fight Vonotar! Well, hopefully.

Now, we need to choose a new Kai Discipline.

Kai Disciplines

Camouflage

This Discipline enables a Kai Lord to blend in with his surroundings. In the countryside, he can hide undetected among trees and rocks and pass close to an enemy without being seen. In a town or city, it enables him to look and sound like a native of that area, and can help him to find shelter or a safe hiding place.

Tracking

This skill enables a Kai Lord to make the correct choice of a path in the wild, to discover the location of a person or object in a town or city and to read the secrets of footprints or tracks.

Animal Kinship

This skill enables a Kai Lord to communicate with some animals and to be able to guess the intentions of others.

Mind Over Matter

Mastery of this Discipline enables a Kai Lord to move small objects with his powers of concentration.

Now for equipment.

Equipment

Before leaving the northern port of Anskaven, you are escorted to the City Hall and equipped with special winter boots, a tunic, a fur-lined cloak, and mittens. You are given a Map of Kalte and a pouch of gold. To find out how much gold is in the pouch, pick a number from the Random Number Table. Now add 10 to the number you have picked. The total equals the number of Gold Crowns inside the pouch, and you may now enter this number in the ‘Gold Crowns’ section of your Action Chart. (If you have successfully completed previous Lone Wolf adventures, you may add this sum to the total of any Crowns you may already possess. Remember you can only carry fifty Crowns.)

Before you set sail, you are given the choice of the following items (in addition to those you already possess, but remember you may only carry two weapons). You may take any two of the following:

Sword (Weapons)

Short Sword (Weapons)

Padded Leather Waistcoat (Special Items). This adds 2 ENDURANCE points to your total.

Spear (Weapons)

Mace (Weapons)

Warhammer (Weapons)

Axe (Weapons)

Ok, image limit per post's kicked in. I'll have to carry on below. Also, whoever drew that 'warhammer' needs an explanation on what a warhammer looks like!

[pi4t 6]

Potion of Laumspur (Backpack Items). This restores 4 ENDURANCE points to your total when swallowed after combat. There is only enough for one dose.

Quarterstaff (Weapons)

Special Rations (Meals). This counts as one meal. (See ‘How to Use Your Equipment’ before deciding.)

Broadsword (Weapons)

List the two items you choose on your Action Chart, under the heading given in brackets, and make a note of any effect it may have on your ENDURANCE points or COMBAT SKILL.

So, we get a new map. I'll replace the old map as we don't need it any more (the books will always give you a map of the appropriate area, to account for new players who haven't played the older books). Here's the map:

By the way, if you want to eg bookmark it for easy viewing, here's a link to the image itself.

Other than that, we get 16GC, but we can't carry any of it. We need to choose two items from the list. Obviously, we'll need to drop one of our weapons if we choose a weapon, but other than that, we should be ok for inventory. Also, bear in mind that as the map says 'The Icy Wastes of Kalte', we may not be able to use hunting there. (I can't actually remember if you can or not, it was a while ago that I played this one).

Levels of Kai Training

The following table is a guide to the ranks and titles that are bestowed upon Kai Lords at each stage of their training. As you successfully complete each adventure in the Lone Wolf series, you will gain an additional Kai Discipline and gradually progress towards mastery of the ten basic Kai Disciplines.

Novice

Intuite

Doan

Acolyte

Initiate—You begin the Lone Wolf adventures with this level of Kai training

Aspirant

Guardian

Warmarn or Journeyman

Savant

Master

Beyond the ten basic skills of the Kai Master await the secrets of the higher Kai Disciplines or ‘Magnakai’. By acquiring the wisdom of the Magnakai, a Kai Lord can progress towards the ultimate achievement and become a Kai Grand Master.

And the obligatory Kai Wisdom:

Kai Wisdom

Your mission will be fraught with great danger, for Kalte is a bleak and hostile land and your foe is a master of cunning. Use the map to help you plot your course to the ice fortress of Ikaya. Make notes as you progress through the story, for they will be of great help in future adventures. Many things that you find will aid you during your adventure. Some Special Items will be of use in future Lone Wolf adventures and others may be red herrings of no real use at all, so be selective in what you decide to keep.

There are many routes to the ice fortress of Ikaya, but only one will enable you to capture Vonotar and return to Sommerlund with the minimum of danger. A wise choice of Kai Disciplines and a great deal of courage should enable any player to complete the mission, no matter how weak his initial COMBAT SKILL or ENDURANCE points score. Successful completion of previous Lone Wolf adventures is not essential for the success of this quest.

The betrayal of your country can be avenged by bringing the traitor to justice.

Good Luck!

So, we need to choose a new discipline, and two pieces of equipment, and then we can start. That was quite a quick start of the book, compared with some. Probably as we've already got a mostly-made character.

[James Undercroft 129]

Padded Leather Waistcoat (Special Items). This adds 2 ENDURANCE points to your total.

and

Potion of Laumspur (Backpack Items). This restores 4 ENDURANCE points to your total when swallowed after combat. There is only enough for one dose.

In my opinion ^_^

We don't REALLY need a new weapon because we have the magic spear and the Sommerswerd (unless I am mistaken about one or both of them?)

For Kai discipline I choose Camouflage.

Camouflage

This Discipline enables a Kai Lord to blend in with his surroundings. In the countryside, he can hide undetected among trees and rocks and pass close to an enemy without being seen. In a town or city, it enables him to look and sound like a native of that area, and can help him to find shelter or a safe hiding place.

This one looks to be the most useful. We are going to be battling (I assume) harder enemies and a final boss at the end of our jorney. We will need to converse our strength and by being able to avoid groups of enemies this seems like a very viable option. Also being able to look and sound like a native is excellent if we wish to not arouse suspicion of our whereabouts.

Tracking

This skill enables a Kai Lord to make the correct choice of a path in the wild, to discover the location of a person or object in a town or city and to read the secrets of footprints or tracks.

While this may be a little handy, it does not seem all that necessary. We always manage to find our way by asking anyway, and by sounding like a native we may be able to get directions easier anyway.

Animal Kinship

This skill enables a Kai Lord to communicate with some animals and to be able to guess the intentions of others.

This would be very useful to avoid combat/help in combat, but I do not think this is as useful as camouflage.

Mind Over Matter

Mastery of this Discipline enables a Kai Lord to move small objects with his powers of concentration.

This seems to be the same use as tracking. If we were locked up in a prison or something I can see the use of this, but in the long run I believe camouflage would benefit us more so.

[Hiebe 2493]

Camo. Same everything else as above.

[chaotikal 2392]

Lets go with Lucas's choice.

[CowsGoMoo 267]

Animal Kinship sounds really nice, I've always wanted to talk to animals. ^u^ And maybe we'll get ourselves an army of bunnies!

And we shall destroy ALL WHO STAND IN OUR WAY. Destroy them with FURRINESS! CUTENESS! AND ADAWABLENESS!!!

We shall take over ALL the CARROTS!

But since everyone is going with Lucas~

I guess my decision doesn't matter much at this point.

[James Undercroft 129]

Hehe, if you can convince 3 other people to join the adventure and vote for your choice it is totally possible we will go with that instead xD