Let's Play Lone Wolf

[CowsGoMoo 267]

The unguarded path, is always the BAD path.

If something is too easy to be true, then it's definitely not true. That's just how life works! Let's go and beat up some guards. We're Lone Wolf for Christ's sake, and Lone Wolf NEVER dies! Well... Except for that ONE time... a few moments ago, when the cake was like a lie... and those other three times... when we-- THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT!

We don't die, so we gotta take all the risks.

[Edit: Ugh. Double post. My bad! The internet in this hotel isn't the greatest... Vacationing! Whooo!]

[Lupus 14]

Mean cake.

Nah we go kill those bad people and go on from there.

[pi4t 6]

Guards it is!

183

You manage to reach a tangle of briars growing near the crypt door, and from here you can observe the Vassagonian guards undetected. More soldiers appear on horseback, riding into Maaken from the north. They dismount and approach the door.

‘Password!’ shout the crypt guards.

‘Lohn,’ reply the soldiers. The door opens and they are allowed to enter.

Armed with the password, you decide to try to enter in the same way. Keeping the hood of your cloak raised and your Sommlending features in shadow, you walk boldly towards the guards.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Camouflage, add 4 to the number you have picked.

If your total is now 0–6, turn to 198.

If it is 7–13, turn to 338.

Ok, maybe we can get in without combat! Camouflage, activating!

4+4. I think that's the first time Camouflage has actually helped us, isn't it?

338

Your bravado has paid off. The guards accept the password and allow you to enter the crypt. As the stone door is drawn shut, you find yourself in a wide torchlit corridor heading towards the east.

Turn to 235.

And on we go.

235

The corridor ends at a flight of steps that descends a hundred feet into the earth. At the bottom, a short passage leads to a junction where a tunnel runs from north to south. To the north you can see a torchlit cavern with what appear to be observation slits carved into the wall; to the south a passage leads towards a low balcony.

If you wish to investigate the torchlit cavern, turn to 177.

If you wish to take a look over the low balcony, turn to 100.

Enter the cavern from which we can watch the ceremony, or the balcony from which we can intervene?

[Lupus 14]

Torchlit spying cavern. Many there's something important there

[CowsGoMoo 267]

I say the balcony, so we can hop in and murder everyone.

What can we do staring through the squinty holes? Only watch, as the evil undead monster thing comes and kills us.

Nope. Not gunna happen.

[Αμφίονας 41]

I do not like observation slits. They can sound the alarm, easily, leading to our premature death by man-eating ponies.

On the other hand a balcony could end up with a lame death like the cellar.

I am voting hesitantly for the cavern. It has a better atmosphere.

[pi4t 6]

*Winces*

177

You have taken just one step into the cavern when a blow on the back of your head knocks you senseless. You were seen at the junction by two guards, who prepared this ambush for you. Your equipment is taken and your unconscious body bound by Barraka’s men, who throw you into a cell.

You are unable to stop the sacrifice. When the time comes for your cell door to open, it is the bony hand of a skeleton that turns the key.

Your life and your mission end here.

Oops, we fell for both arbitrary instant deaths. Also, they were skeletons, not ponies.

Death Count +1 = 5

And we now have more deaths than our current book number. Let's try not to die next book, shall we? (Yeah, let's see how that works out...)

We use our Kai powers of reversing time!

235

The corridor ends at a flight of steps that descends a hundred feet into the earth. At the bottom, a short passage leads to a junction where a tunnel runs from north to south. To the north you can see a torchlit cavern with what appear to be observation slits carved into the wall; to the south a passage leads towards a low balcony.

If you wish to investigate the torchlit cavern, turn to 177.

If you wish to take a look over the low balcony, turn to 100.

On the other hand a balcony could end up with a lame death like the cellar.

I very much hope that this is wrong, or we have a problem.

100

An empty feeling grips your stomach as you stare upon the altar and inner sanctum of the subterranean temple. Your Kai senses burn as if every nerve in your body is screaming a warning to flee from this evil chamber. Huge braziers of molten metal encircle a black altar upon which lies fair Madelon, the daughter of Baron Vanalund. She seems to be entranced—her breathing is slow and shallow. Beyond the altar lie two massive doors, a gigantic skull engraved upon their black stone surface. Out of your view, another door opens, and a procession of red-cloaked priests enters the temple. Their heads are covered and they each carry strange amulets of black stone. They file past the altar, depositing the amulets in a circle around the young girl’s body and then file out again in total silence. Then you hear the sound of a distant drumbeat; it grows louder and nearer. The measured steps of steel-shod boots resound in its wake. Barraka is approaching.

Turn to 215.

Uh oh...

215

Barraka carries the stench of death and decay about him. He strides into the temple, his boots of Gourgaz hide covering both legs and feet, and slams shut the huge stone door with frightening ease. He stands in silence before pushing open the huge black doors engraved with the menacing skulls. Suddenly a gale force wind sweeps through the temple and your ears are filled by a terrible scream. Beyond the open doors, a pier of stone juts into the abyss of Maakengorge: you are staring into the Chasm of Doom.

Barraka turns away from the windswept pier and walks slowly towards the altar. From a hidden scabbard he removes a twisted black dagger and holds its stiletto blade to the light. An evil blue flame runs up and down the black steel spike, flickering in the ice-cold winds of Maakengorge. The sacrifice is about to begin.

If you wish to draw your weapon and attack Barraka, turn to 296.

If you wish to distract his attention from the altar without attacking him, turn to 119.

So, attack or be clever?

[Αμφίονας 41]

*le sigh*

These instant deaths are getting annoying. Let's play seriously.

I am going to make the most logical possible decision on this one. If we end up dead I will start flipping a god damn coin.

Before I begin, I would like to state that this is based on the hypothesis that our distraction will be ****. Something like waving our arms while yelling. If we somehow cause an earthquake or make him think there is a threat so serious, that he needs to stop the ritual then that would have been by far a better option but I doubt we can do that. So:

Option A

A valiant jump against the evil folk that has encaptured the maiden while we are being applauded by all of the red hood mages just before they blow the %^*+ out of us.

Option B

Distract him and hope that his attention will be drawn long enough leading to

X: Slash, chop and avoid all of his minions and save the woman. Hopefully before the sacrifice takes place.

Or

Y: the sacrifice takes place and we somehow miraculously save the day or start maxing our death meter.

I should point out that even if we distract him there is nothing stopping him from ignoring us and continuing with the sacrifice while the mages start

a. Attacking us

b. Act like human shields, providing him the necessary time

C.Sound the alarm

All in all I vote for brawling with him. Hopefully they will be surprised for enough time to allow us to kill or knock him out . Or add another death cause we need the whole set of lame deaths. Collect them all.

[CowsGoMoo 267]

Hrmmm... I think we should crash this cult party.

Jump in, drink some beers, get some chicks (preferably Madelon, she is SUUUPER hot), drink more beers, party a bit, and ... oh yeah, kill that one guy with the dagger, who's about to do an evil ritual to summon this horrible all-powerful undead demon that would probably kill us all.

Theeen, we ditch the party, cause the party-goers'll probably be a bit angry that we just murdered their leader.

We'll probably get some beers thrown at us, and perhaps some spears. Hopefully, we won't die.

Really. Sometimes Lone Wolf makes the weirdest decisions. There's gotta be another way out of this situation, other than "WAVE HANDS AROUND LIKE AN IDIOT", and "JUMP IN AND STAB EVERYTHING LIKE A MEATHEAD".

[Lupus 14]

Jump in and stab him. No time for silly charades.

[pi4t 6]

O...k, a new posting format. This may actually be easier, though I'll have to break the hyperlinks to the next sections.

 

296

If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 122.

If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 274.

 

We do!

 

 

122

As you raise your golden sword, the howling wind seems to rise in pitch and intensity. It claws at your mind, filling your head with terrible images of death and horror. Barraka sees you falter and strikes a cruel blow that opens a wound in your cheek. You lose 1 ENDURANCE point. But the sudden pain reawakens you to the presence of your enemy, and the combat begins.

Barraka: COMBAT SKILL 25   ENDURANCE 29

You are being attacked by a very powerful Mindblast. Unless you possess the Kai Discipline of Mindshield, your COMBAT SKILL is reduced by 4 for the duration of this combat. However, Barraka himself is a warrior who possesses formidable strength of will: he is immune to Mindblast.

If you win the combat, turn to 350.

 

Boss fight!

 

We lose 1E = 25/26

 

Combat Ratio: 24 (no mindblast) -25 = -1

Our E total = 25/26

Barraka's E total = 29/29

 

Round 1

Random number = 8

We take 1 damage = 24/26

Barraka takes 9 damage = 20/29

 

Round 2

Random number = 6

We take 2 damage = 22/26

Barraka takes 7 damage = 13/29

 

Round 3

Random number = 9

We take no damage = 22/26

Barraka takes 10 damage = 3/29

 

Round 4

Random number = 9

We take no damage = 22/26

Barraka takes 10 damage = DEAD!

 

Our E total = 22/26

 

Aand we win.

 

 

350

As Barraka dies, the wind suddenly rises in pitch and intensity, filling the temple with a mournful cry of despair. You feel the chill, malevolent spirit of Darklord Vashna engulfing you in an icy embrace, but you sense that he is powerless to harm you. The sacrifice has been foiled; he is doomed to lament for a victory that might have been.

Lying on the black temple floor is the Dagger of Vashna. As you pick it up and tuck it into your belt (mark this on your Action Chart as a Special Item), the evil blue flame flickers and dies. As long as you possess this evil blade, Darklord Vashna and his legion of dead warriors will remain imprisoned in the Chasm of Doom.

You free fair Madelon from the altar and carry her through the corridors of the temple that lead up to the surface. As you emerge into the moonlit ruins, an astounding sight greets your eyes. Barraka’s warriors are running from the ghost city in all directions, closely pursued by an army of cavalrymen. The light of the full moon and the guttering torches that these horsemen carry, illuminates the sun-crest that bedecks their tunics. Word must have reached Holmgard for they are the Sommlending army, led by King Ulnar himself. Your countrymen praise your courage and daring, their strident cheers drowning the cry of Maakengorge, for once again you have proved yourself a true hero of Sommerlund. As you deliver Madelon into the waiting arms of her father, his overwhelming joy fills you with a sense of great achievement. You are indeed worthy of the title ‘Kai Lord’. You have succeeded in your perilous quest, but the epic saga of Lone Wolf—last of the Kai Lords—is far from complete. A new and deadly challenge awaits you in Book 5 of the Lone Wolf series entitled:

Shadow on the Sand

 

Ooh, it copies pictures now! (EDIT: Ok, the borders mess up if I don't delete them. I'll leave this one as is, so you can see what I mean.)

 

Also, we need to choose which special item to drop for the Dagger. It really wouldn't be safe to let it fall back into evil hands, after all...

 

These are our options:

 

 

Special Items:
1)Map
2)Crystal Star Pendant
3)Vordak Gem
4)Scroll
5)Shield (+2CS)
6)Chainmail Waistcoat (+4E)
7)Blue Stone Triangle.
8)Magic Spear
9)Sommerswerd (+8CS)
10)Padded Leather Waistcoat (+2E)
11)Kalte Firesphere
12)Diamond

 

And with another book completed, it's on to Shadow on the Sand!

[pi4t 6]

Ok, Shadow on the Sand! This one's a bit unusual, as it's got 2 parts each containing 200 sections, rather than the total of 350 we're used to.

 

 

The Story So Far … 

You are Lone Wolf—last of the Kai Lords of Sommerlund, and sole survivor of the massacre that destroyed them during a bitter war with your age-old enemies, the Darklords of Helgedad.

It is midwinter in your northern homeland and a mantle of snow lies knee-deep in the streets of Holmgard—the capital—when you are summoned from your monastery in the hills by a messenger bearing a scroll, signed and sealed by the hand of King Ulnar. You are surprised to read the King’s message, for it is a request for your help in solving an urgent problem of what he describes as ‘great diplomatic importance’. It seems a strange request to make of a warrior lord, whose skills are better suited to the field of battle than to parleying with foreign envoys. However, you obey the summons and upon your arrival at the capital, all is made clear.

The Zakhan of Vassagonia, the imperial ruler of this desert empire, has sent his most trusted envoy to seek a treaty of peace between your two countries, and you have been asked to sign the treaty on behalf of your country. The reason for this is easily apparent.

Less than a year ago, a renegade noble of Vassagonia called Barraka led his army of bandits in an attack upon the Sommlending province of Ruanon. This mining town and much of the surrounding land was overrun and destroyed. Many Sommlending lost their lives, and many more were enslaved and forced to labour in the mines of the Maaken Range. When the regular convoy from Ruanon failed to arrive at the capital, the king sent you to investigate. A great battle ensued in which you defeated Barraka in mortal combat. Without your courage and skill, the safety of Sommerlund and all of the Lastlands would have been placed in grave peril.

‘Your majesty, the Zakhan is gravely embarrassed by Barraka’s foul treachery, and is most anxious that our friendship and trust be restored. He begs that you send the Kai warrior, Lone Wolf, to sign a treaty of peace with him at the Grand Palace in Barrakeesh,’ whimpers the Zakhan’s emissary, as he kneels at the feet of King Ulnar.

The king rises from his throne, barely able to conceal his distaste for the fawning envoy. He turns his gaze to you and bids you follow him to the privacy of an antechamber.

‘I have no liking for this desert realm, Lone Wolf, but I like the prospect of war even less. The Zakhan is old and frail, and has no son to claim his throne when he dies. Barraka was but one of many ruthless nobles who wait like jackals for the chance to seize power, and I fear they grow too impatient to allow the Zakhan to die a natural death. The treaty may not guarantee peace with Vassagonia once the Zakhan is dead, but it will at least buy us precious time to strengthen our southern border.’

The king leads you to a window and points towards the harbour, barely visible through the falling snow. A Vassagonian galley lies anchored close to the harbour wall.

‘Go to Vassagonia, Lone Wolf. Sign the treaty and return quickly. Even with the promise of peace, I fear the shadow of war will fall upon us before the year is out.’

You wave farewell to Holmgard on this bleak midwinter’s day, feeling sure you will return before the thaw. But as you watch the spires of Holmgard disappear in the falling snow, you have no inkling of the shadow that awaits you in Vassagonia.

 

Basically Barraka was a minor noble of Vassagonia, so their ruler is offering us a peace agreement by apology. We have to go and sign it, and hope the ruler isn't assassinated too soon after...

 

First, though, we choose one of the two disciplines remaining:

 

 

Kai Disciplines 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.

If you choose this skill, write ‘Tracking’ on your Action Chart.

 

Mind Over Matter

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

If you choose this skill, write ‘Mind Over Matter’ on your Action Chart.

 

If you have successfully completed Books 1–4 of the Lone Wolf series, completion of Book 5 will raise you to the rank of Kai Master. This means that you will have acquired all ten basic Kai skills.

 

I wonder what'll happen then? We won't have any more disciplines to choose from!

 

 

Equipment

Before leaving Holmgard on your voyage to the Vassagonian capital of Barrakeesh, you are given a map of the desert empire 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 a maximum of fifty Crowns.)

You may take your pick of the following items (in addition to those you already possess, but remember you may only carry two weapons). You may take up to four of the following:

• Dagger (Weapons)
  
  
                 

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

   
• Sword (Weapons)
  
  
                 

   
• Spear (Weapons)
  
  
                 

   
• 2 Special Rations (Meals). Each of these Special Rations counts as one Meal, and each takes up one space in your Backpack.
  
  
                 

   
• Mace (Weapons)
  
  
                 

   
• Shield (Special Items). This adds 2 points to your COMBAT SKILL when used in combat.
  
  
                 

   

List the four items that 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.

 

I'm not going to bother quoting all our equipment here, partly as I'll probably go over the character limit. Just look at the action chart in my signature :)

 

We're full up on all types of item, so if you say to take anything, say what to drop as well.

 

So, basically do we want any of this equipment? And don't forget about choosing what to drop for the Dagger of Vashna.

[CowsGoMoo 267]

Wow. So much reading!

I'm a bit disappointed there was no...

 

"If you want to make love with Madelon, turn to 69."

 

Buuut, I'll take what we've got! We have yet again, MURDERED another person! BWAHAHAHA!

 

Now, since we're Lone Wolf, and can't possibly die no matter what, as seen from our AMAZINGLY low death count. I say we take NO ITEMS. We go in there with what we have. Which is actually, already quite a lot.

 

Now, I choose Mind over Matter as our little perk, because... who DOESN'T want to move things? I mean sure, we can probably only move like a feather or something, but even so, that's AWESOME!

 

And also, drop our stupid diamond. Why do we even have that jewel? Who the hell needs diamonds anyways? I mean come on. It's just a GLITTERY ROCK.

[pi4t 6]

You still need to say what to drop for the dagger of vashna, or we'll be stopping vashna being resurrected and being killed twice not at all in the process in another few books :)

 

Ignore me, apparently I couldn't read the part about dropping the diamond.

[James Undercroft 129]

I'd like to agree, drop the diamond for the awesome dagger of awesomeness!

 

 

By the way, are you stilling running this thing? :) Just read few a couple of the last pages, not the entirety of book 4. I can't remember... was I here last in book 3 or 4? Either way, I can see you guys have gone swimmingly! xD