Let's Play Lone Wolf

[pi4t 6]

Well, it looks like we're going with Lucas' choice after all.

We gain a new discipline: Camouflage

We gain a Padded Leather Waistcoat (+2E)

We gain a Potion of Laumspur (+4E)

1

Even before you accepted the task of bringing Vonotar to justice, preparations were being made for your voyage to Kalte. The captain of the Sommlending warship Cardonal, having returned from a long Kaltersee patrol, was ordered to await your arrival at Anskaven. During the night, food, ice equipment, and Kanu-dog teams were taken on board. The mission was highly secret—only senior members of the crew were told the true nature of the voyage that lay ahead.

The plan is to set you ashore at Halle Bluff, drop anchor, and await your return. An élite team of trusted guides will lead you from the bluff to Ikaya. Once inside the ice fortress, you are to hunt down and capture Vonotar, and then return with your guides to the ship. Your mission must be accomplished within thirty days at most, for winter is closing in and no ship can withstand the grip of the Kalte pack-ice. If you do not return in time, the captain will be forced to set sail without you.

For six days, the Cardonal sails across the stormy Kaltersee without running into a storm; but every day the temperature steadily drops until a layer of ice covers the decks. On the morning of the seventh day, the snow-capped island of Tola is sighted on the horizon. Soon after, a light wind rises from the west.

At first, there appears to be little danger, but within half an hour a furious blizzard is blowing, and all sight of land quickly vanishes in the scudding drift. All day the furious gale rages. Tremendous winds slice the tops of the huge grey waves and water crashes over the decks, masts, and rigging of the ship, freezing almost immediately into solid ice. The sides of the ship become several feet thick with seawater. It is not until early evening that the weather clears, and although the wind still blows strongly, the force of the gale is spent.

You are soon to discover that the gale has blown the ship nearly thirty miles off course, along the lip of the Ljuk ice shelf. You know that to return to Halle Bluff would waste a precious day, so you decide to land on the ice shelf and start your mission from there.

As the last of the Kanu-dogs are carried ashore, your guides tell you of the two possible routes to Ikaya from here. The first route involves a hundred and thirty mile trek to Cloudmaker Mountain and then, following the difficult terrain of the Viad Glacier, a further hundred miles must be covered before you arrive at the ice fortress. The alternative route involves a longer journey of nearly one hundred and eighty miles into the Hrod Basin, followed by a trek of a hundred miles through Storm Giant Pass to Ikaya. Even if the weather and your luck hold good, either route will involve ten days of hard trekking before you reach your goal. You should consult the map of Kalte before making your decision.

If you wish to attempt the shorter, but more difficult Viad Glacier route, turn to 160.

If you wish to take the longer, but easier Hrod Basin and Storm Giant Pass route, turn to 273.

So we've had our usual luck with ships, I see. Seriously, our first ship sank on us (on the way to Port Bax), our second sank (on the way back), our third was one of the few remains of the fleet our second was a flagship of, and now our fourth has been hit by a blizzard and driven miles off course. Still, we can now go one of two routes. The map and text really explains it better than I can, so I'll just ask which way we should go.

[CowsGoMoo 267]

Well, it looks like we're going with Lucas' choice after all.

We gain a new discipline: Camouflage

We gain a Padded Leather Waistcoat (+2E)

We gain a Potion of Laumspur (+4E)

So we've had our usual luck with ships, I see. Seriously, our first ship sank on us (on the way to Port Bax), our second sank (on the way back), our third was one of the few remains of the fleet our second was a flagship of, and now our fourth has been hit by a blizzard and driven miles off course. Still, we can now go one of two routes. The map and text really explains it better than I can, so I'll just ask which way we should go.

Pft, we have all the time in the universe, let's take the easy peaceful way. ^u^

Maybe we can sip some tea, hang out on the poop deck or something!

[Hiebe 2493]

East way I'd the only way.

[James Undercroft 129]

Well, let's see now.

Those are our choices (I think) so basically do we meet up with the Storm giants and have a tea party or do we travel across a path of ice... slippery cracked evil scary ice of death...

I'm going with the tea party route. ^_^

[pi4t 6]

Nice work with that map! I was too lazy to get round to it, but it demonstrates the route much more clearly than the book, let alone my description.

[chaotikal 2392]

Tea party! Hope I have perms to the region :)

[pi4t 6]

So that's three votes for Stormgiant Pass (which may or may not have stormgiants), and only one for the glacier.

273

You are to travel to Ikaya by sledge. Two sledges have been loaded with enough food, and equipment for the mission, each drawn by a team of six Kanu-dogs. This sturdy breed is native to Kalte, and they make ideal sledge dogs. Their thick tawny coats and powerful chests, as well as their renowned vigour and enthusiasm make them well suited to the harsh work ahead.

Your three guides, Irian, Fenor, and Dyce, are all experienced trappers. They are skilled at survival in this icy desert, and have experienced its many unseen dangers. Once the dogs are in harness, you and Irian climb aboard your sledge and signal to the others to lead the way.

Staring across the frozen expanse of the Ljuk ice shelf, you see the white glare of the Hrod Basin edge. ‘ “Ice-Blink” they call it,’ says Irian, his eyes glinting from deep inside the hood of his fur jacket. ‘It’s the reflection of the ice shelf. It looks no more than four miles away at most, but it’s nearer forty than four. The air of Kalte can be very deceptive.’

The weather is bright and windless and you make excellent progress on the first day. As darkness sets in, you decide to set up camp for the night. The sledges are drawn together, and the tent is erected in the salient away from the wind.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 35.

If you do not possess this skill, turn to 112.

We do.

35

You get an uneasy feeling that someone or something is watching you. You leave the tent and peer into the night for some sign of life, but the snow and the darkness hide everything. Reluctantly, you return to the tent and go to sleep with one hand by your weapon in case of a surprise attack.

Turn to 291.

Well, that was...helpful. Seriously, I thought it was meant to have improved when we got the Sommerswerd, not had its power reduced!

291

When you awake, you sense that something has changed. It takes nearly a minute to realize that the incessant howling of the night winds has ceased. ‘It’s a beautiful morning,’ says Irian cheerfully, his head appearing through the tent flap. You quickly climb out of your sleeping furs and stare out over the icy landscape. The Kalte air is fresh and clear. You see a strong mirage in the distance that seems to throw the land up much higher than it could possibly be.

‘We should make it to “The Rock” by nightfall,’ says Fenor, as he busily pulls a reluctant Kanu-dog into its harness. ‘Best to make camp there tonight. The shelter is good; this far from the sea, a blizzard can whip across the shelf from nowhere in a few minutes. I’ve known trappers to be blown for miles if they’re careless or unlucky enough to be caught out on the shelf with no cover.’

That day, the Kanu-dogs pull strong and true, for the going is smooth across the ice shelf. By nightfall, you have reached ‘The Rock’, a splinter of granite that has thrust through the ice shelf. Its curious shape reminds you of the King’s citadel in Holmgard. You make camp to the leeward side of ‘The Rock’, to avoid the worst of the night winds.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 103.

If the number you have picked is 5–9, turn to 220.

Random numbers, woohoo. 6.

220

The next day is bitterly cold. A strong wind from the west blows relentlessly as you steer your sledge towards the Hrod Basin. The snow clogs your eyes and your lips crack and bleed, but by midday you reach the edge of the basin. Irian and Dyce’s sledge arrives at the ice wall first and they eagerly encourage you onwards.

Without any warning, a great crack appears between the two sledges, opening with a tremendous roar, until you are faced by a huge dark crevasse. Frantically you pull on the reins but it is too late to prevent your Kanu-dog team from disappearing into the void. Your sledge is left balancing on the edge of the crevasse, while the team of howling Kanu-dogs dangle helplessly in their harnesses below you. Very carefully, you risk a glance into the chasm. You see that the first two dogs have broken free and dropped over one-hundred-and-fifty feet to a ledge below. One of them appears to be dead. The other is badly injured and whimpers beside the still body of its comrade. Suddenly, a shudder jolts the sledge and you gasp with fright.

If you wish to crawl with Fenor to the rear of the sledge, turn to 146.

If you decide to try to leap clear of the sledge onto the cracked ice, turn to 29.

Uh oh...

What should we do?

[Hiebe 2493]

Crawl back.....slowly....

[chaotikal 2392]

Backing down be fer losers! GU AHEAD!

[CowsGoMoo 267]

Crawl... crawl slowly... slow is the way to go.

I mean... we STILL have all the time in... in the world right? Our time won't be put to a sudden stop cause... pft .. we took our time.

[James Undercroft 129]

CRAPPY DRAWINGS INC!

Well lets look at it from a logical standpoint.

As you can see, if we attempt to rush forwards the balance of the sled moves more forwards (mainly because weight of us + doggehs = more than the other dude). This means we die.

Alternatively:

I believe we win gentlement.

Crawl back! :D

[CowsGoMoo 267]

CRAPPY DRAWINGS INC!

Well lets look at it from a logical standpoint.

As you can see, if we attempt to rush forwards the balance of the sled moves more forwards (mainly because weight of us + doggehs = more than the other dude). This means we die.

Alternatively:

I believe we win gentlement.

Crawl back! :D

I wish there was a

"BE HEROIC AND SAVE TEH DOGGEHS, SCREW LIFE the dogs mean EVERYTHING!" option. ;m;

[pi4t 6]

Forum just swallowed my half written post, thanks for that...

146

You gingerly inch your way back to the rear of the sledge—but you hear the cracking of ice as the crevasse opens wider and wider. ‘Jump!’ shouts Fenor, as the sledge topples into the widening void.

You steady yourself to try to leap to safety but your left foot becomes entangled in the ropes and equipment.

If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 43.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter, turn to 121.

If you possess neither of the above, pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If the number you have picked is 1–4, turn to 226.

If the number is 5–9, turn to 266.

If the number is 0, turn to 312.

Yay, apparently the SS has even more powers which we don't know about!

43

You unsheathe the golden sword and sever the ropes with one blow. Your foot is free, and you leap from the sledge barely seconds before it disappears into the crevasse. Quickly, Fenor runs to your side and pulls you away from the crumbling edge. You have lost your Kanu-dogs, your sledge, and provisions, but not your life. You both jump the widening gap and join the others.

Despite the loss of equipment, your guides agree to continue the mission even though they know that the hardships will now be far greater. In the distance, you can see a narrow passage at the edge of the ice shelf where it joins the Hrod Basin. By nightfall, you have reached the shelter of this narrow pass and you decide to set up camp.

You make a check of the remaining food stores and realize that rations will have to be cut by half if you are all to reach Ikaya. You lose 1 ENDURANCE point due to the small evening meal.

Turn to 325.

Oh. So we just used it as a glorified knife. Couldn't any sword have been used for that? Or, say, an axe? Oh well.

We lose 1E = 22/23

H+1 23/23

Oh I love Healing...

325

The next morning arrives bright and windless. The sun pierces the thin layer of cloud, bathing the east in a soft pink glow. This beautiful vision reminds you that your Kai masters once told you that the light of Kalte is unlike anywhere else in Magnamund. With tent and equipment packed, you leave the pass and venture out onto the Hrod Basin; one hundred miles of open ice now lie between you and Storm Giant Pass.

At first, the journey is easy. The Basin has been worn smooth by the wind and no crevasses lurk unseen beneath the hard, dense snow. But at dawn on the third day, events take a turn for the worse. You are awoken from a deep sleep by Dyce shaking your shoulder. He is frightened. ‘What’s wrong?’ you ask, still bleary-eyed and sleepy.

‘Ice Barbarians … on the horizon. Twenty, maybe more. Five wind sledges and a warrior escort. I think they’ve seen us.’

In an instant, you have all climbed out of your sleeping furs and begun to pack away the tent. Dyce is correct, they are Ice Barbarians and they are heading towards you from the west. ‘If they catch us, we’re as good as dead,’ says Fenor, as he ties the last of the equipment to the sledge.

The Ice Barbarians of Kalte are a fierce and war-like race of nomads. For thousands of years they have travelled this icy wasteland, trapping furs and herding mammoths. Their only contact with the rest of Magnamund is through the trading post of Ljuk. In summer, when the coast around Ljuk is free from ice, they journey there to trade their furs for weapons and tools, as there is no iron or wood in Kalte. They hate all except their own kind, and kill anyone they find who dares to trespass in their icy domain. You soon hear their war-cries less than three miles distant, and for the first time since you landed, you pray for a blizzard to hide your escape.

Turn to 216.

On the plus side, we just made a journey of 80 miles in 3 days. 27 miles per day in hostile conditions, not bad. I'm pretty sure it's faster than that cart last book, for a start...

On the other hand, we may now have to slaughter some innocent(ish) ice barbarians.

216

You have covered less than a mile when the first of the Ice Barbarian scouts appear to the north on skis. At first, there are only two of the fearsome warriors, but they are soon joined by three others. They are large, muscular, and bedecked with furs. Some of them wear bone armour. Despite their size, they glide across the snow with an almost feline grace and speed. Each of them has a pole attached to his back from which a small flag flutters.

Suddenly, a bone-tipped arrow whistles past your knee and embeds itself in the sledge. An Ice Barbarian scout skis past to your right. He is less than ten yards away and you can clearly see his slanted eyes and sharp cheek-bones. You suddenly realize that what you had mistaken for muscle and fur is in fact an Ice Barbarian child. Each scout is carrying a large backpack containing a small child. These children are armed with small bone bows, and they fire a constant stream of arrows as their fathers ski nearer and nearer.

Suddenly Irian falls, an arrow buried in his back. Dyce runs to his aid but is shot down before he has taken a dozen steps. Fenor is hit. An arrow passes straight through his throat. He bravely staggers on for nearly a minute before collapsing in the snow. You are on your own. An Ice Barbarian scout skis past to your left and returns towards you head on. He has a spear under one arm, which is levelled at your chest.

If you wish to fight the Ice Barbarian scout, turn to 158.

If you wish to try to escape, turn to 149.

Well, there go some more NPCs who did nothing wrong except follow us...

So, get revenge or try to escape?

[Hiebe 2493]

FIGHT!

[chaotikal 2392]

KLOOOOOOOMP!