Let's Play Lone Wolf

[pi4t 6]

We lose a bone sword. We gain Captain D'Val's sword.

319

The food is delicious. You eat your fill and then make preparations for a good night’s sleep. At dawn, you and your company bid farewell to the travelling players and continue on your mission to Ruanon.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 25.

If it is 5–9, turn to 171.

Aha, a random encounter!

We get a 0.

25

After journeying through the rich wheat fields of southern Sommerlund, the view that lies before you now looks especially bleak and colourless. The landscape is flat and desolate, only relieved here and there by a ragged copse of stunted firs or mound of broken earth. (You have entered the Wildlands south of the Pass of Moytura and cannot use the Kai Discipline of Hunting to hunt for food in this desolate area.) During the afternoon, storm clouds gather above the peaks of the Durncrag Mountains to the west, and the roll of distant thunder warns of imminent rain. It is early evening when your scouts find the ruins of an old temple, less than a mile from the highway.

If you wish to set up camp for the night in the shelter of the ruins, turn to 290.

If you wish to avoid the temple and continue, turn to 141.

Back in the wildlands again. Set up camp in the ruined and obviously evil temple?

[CowsGoMoo 267]

Well pi4t, I don't even know why you asked.

Of course we're going to go to the obviously evil and dangerous temple!

Adventure! Whooooo!~

And probably death, perhaps.

[Lupus 14]

Temple run was a good game. Let's go into the temple.

[Αμφίονας 41]

Temple. Sidequests give exp and Loooooot!

[pi4t 6]

290

The ruins are overgrown with weeds and roots, but you can make out the shape of the inner sanctum of the temple quite distinctly. The huge marble canopy is still intact and will serve as an excellent shelter from the storm. As you tie your horse to a withered shrub, you glance up to see two men hiding beneath the canopy, dressed in long black robes. You order them to come out and identify themselves, but they neither move nor answer your call.

If you wish to signal your men to attack the robed strangers, turn to 44.

If you wish to try to capture them alive, turn to 102.

If you decide to sheathe your weapon and approach them, your hand extended in a gesture of friendship, turn to 78.

Hmm. Mysterious black robed figures. Do we try to kill them?

[Αμφίονας 41]

I am really tempted to turn them into Swiss cheese...

but

This does not seem right..

If they were necromancers or something other spooky they would have already attacked..

..hmmm mm........

[insert lots of thoughts about what the hell they are doing here]

I say we capture them alive. They obviously know something we do not, so I would like them to share it with the class.

[Lupus 14]

Let's be friends and talk with them like civilized people. Non swords

[James Undercroft 129]

I like the civilized way. You never know, perhaps he'd go against the general theme that all dark ominous figures in dark robes are evil with dark intent and want to steal our souls.

NAAHH.

Be friendly anyway! Be the better man! That's what I say!

[CowsGoMoo 267]

Dark robed, suspicious, and unmoving people, in storm.

Hrmmm.

Friendly. I say friendly.

Let's give them a nice cuddly huggle, and wuggle them till the sun comes up, eh?

I mean, who knows. They could just be wearing black robes, because it's the new fashion deal from where-ever they came from. Always gotta keep up with style and clothing!

[pi4t 6]

Ok. We wander up to say hello. Why don't we leave the Sommerswerd in the camp, too? I'm sure we won't need it!

78

As you approach they slip back their hoods to reveal two smiling faces. They seem relieved to have made friendly contact in the middle of this inhospitable wasteland. Neither of them speaks, but they remove amulets from around their necks and offer them as some kind of identification. The small wooden fish hanging on the neck-chains are symbols of a Holy Order known as ‘The Redeemers’, a silent order of pilgrims devoted to a lifetime of prayer and the study of the healing arts.

One of the pilgrims hands you a small earthenware Flask that contains a potion of Holy Water. If you wish to keep this Flask, mark it on your Action Chart as a Backpack Item.

Your men pitch camp beneath the marble canopy and preparations are made to get some sleep. You are hungry and must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

Turn to 233.

Well, guess what! They were good after all! Guess we didn't need the SS. Sadly we can't use Hunting, as we're in the Wildlands (see my previous post).

We eat a meal

We get a Flask of Holy Water

Lovely. And there weren't even any battles! Incredible!

233

Your rest is disturbed by the anxious shout of the night guard: ‘Awake! Awake! We’re under attack!’

Throwing back their blankets, your men leap to their feet, peering through the teeming rain at the shadowy silhouette of horsemen circling the ruins. Suddenly an arrow whistles through the darkness. Your lookout screams and falls to his knees. ‘Form a circle,’ you shout. ‘Keep behind cover!’

The rangers gather swords and shields and press themselves against the wet temple marble for protection. The sound of metal-shod boots on stone makes you spin around. A dozen warriors dressed in shiny red armour are clambering across the broken pillars. Two rangers run to block their advance, but they are felled by one sweep of the warrior leader’s broadsword. Then the warrior sees you and quickens his pace. His bloodied sword is raised to strike again. You cannot evade combat and must fight the warrior to the death.

Bandit Warrior: COMBAT SKILL 17 ENDURANCE 26

If you win, turn to 312.

...

I take it all back.

Combat Ratio = 26-17 = 9

Our E total = 26/26

Bandit Warrior's E total = 26/26

Round 1

Random number = 3

We lose 2E = 24/26

Bandit Warrior loses 10E = 16/26

Round 2

Random number = 0

We are unharmed = 24/26

Bandit Warrior is instakilled = DEAD!!

Our E total = 24/26

312

All around you the ruins echo to the clash of weapons and the screech of battle-cries. These armour-clad horsemen are no ordinary bandit clan; they fight with a discipline and skill unheard of among the lowly outlaws of the Wildlands.

You step over the dead warrior and call about you a handful of your men. The enemy have surrounded your horses, and you must act quickly if you are to save them from being taken. You lead a charge through the ruins, piercing the enemy line. They falter and flee back into the darkness. However, by the time you have reached the temple perimeter, only eleven of your horses remain—the others have vanished.

After much thought, you decide to choose ten rangers to continue the mission with you, sending the remainder of your company back to Sommerlund to report what has happened. As the gloomy light of dawn gradually fills the sky, you and your chosen companions bid a sad farewell to those who must march back on foot.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If the number you have picked is 0–2, turn to 120.

If it is 3–9, turn to 51.

Random number = 9

H+1=25/26

51

You have been riding for over four hours when you see a flock of birds. They are black and very large and are swooping around the brow of a distant ridge.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Animal Kinship, turn to 227.

If you wish to investigate the ridge, turn to 328.

If you would rather ignore the birds and press on, turn to 120.

We have Animal Kinship! This is our first use of it, in fact.

H+1 26/26

227

You identify the birds as carrion crows, a despicable breed of Wildland scavengers. Whenever a creature lies dead in the wastelands you can be sure to find a host of these loathsome predators.

If you decide to take a closer look at what they are eating, turn to 328.

If you would rather ignore them and continue your ride, turn to 120.

Ok, so investigate the dead thing, or not?

[CowsGoMoo 267]

Take out your sticks, guys!

We're going to go poke at some dead stuff!

[Αμφίονας 41]

I take it all back.

That was hilarious.

Investigate. It's dead so we will be fine.

Also it might warn us about something.

Hopefully they are not dead men of ours. :(

[Lupus 14]

Dead things please. If the smell dosent kill us we should be grand

[pi4t 6]

Wow. I thought I updated a day or so ago, but must have completely forgotten.

328

As you reach the top of the ridge, a gruesome sight meets you. The bodies of men and horses lie scattered across the shallow valley beyond, their bones picked clean by the scavenging crows. You hear the gasps of horror as your men recognize the armour and tattered white uniforms of these skeletons, for they were once your countrymen, Sommlending Guards of the King’s cavalry. They must have died in battle, for the corpses of bandit warriors lie entwined among them. Forty brave soldiers, nearly half of the squadron that left Holmgard one month ago, now lie before you, and it is with heavy heart that your men set about the grisly task of burial. As you ride away from this valley of death, you are comforted only by the knowledge that Captain D’Val was not among those you buried.

Turn to 120.

They were dead men of ours :(

120

After many hours of riding you reach a highway junction. (You have left the Wildlands and may once again use the Kai Discipline of Hunting to hunt for your food.) A large signpost indicates two destinations: south to Ruanon (60 miles) and east to Eshnar (40 miles).

If you wish to continue south, turn to 33.

If you decide to go east, turn to 92.

South or East?

[Αμφίονας 41]

Well I am up for south.

Ruanon sounds like Rhudaur where the peasant/bandits/farmers/something rebelled against the men of Arnor in LOTR The rise of the witch-king and ended up slaughtering most of them. So that's a good sign.

Yeah it surely is.

Ps. So the problem seems to be disciplined and sturdy bandits controlled by an evil ,malicious force ?

And why did the captain not bury them himself after a victory? Or did they lose and got captured?

Eitherway baseless assumptions, never helped a lot.

Who knows maybe Captain D'Val is waiting us with open arms, and some biscuits (what do you think they were doing/baking these months?) at the entrance of the now cleared mine telling us he was about to send a messenger.

Yeah he surely is.