[Let's Play] Lone Wolf - Kai Series

[SGamerz]

Hit the statue and free the Ice Demon, then kill it with our +8 bling sword to rid the world of this horror once and for all.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes counted; leaving the temple won over striking the statue with a weapon by a 2-1 vote.

306

As you pass through the archway, you notice there is a lever set into the dark stone wall. You pull it and a door slides across, sealing the temple behind you. The temperature is noticeably warmer here, and you can hear a low rumbling sound coming from somewhere in the distance. Ahead, you can see a light at the end of a dark passageway. You discover it is shining out of an oblong portal positioned close to the floor. Through this aperture you can see the floor of a corridor below.
     If you wish to squeeze through the portal and drop down into the corridor, turn to 206.
     If you decide to continue on your way along the passage, turn to 6.

Please make your votes on whether to go through the portal or not before 9:00 AM PDT to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Beroli]

Continue along this passage.

[Thaluikhain]

Continue along.

[SGamerz]

Drop down through the portal.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes counted; continuing along the passage won over squeezing through the portal by a 2-1 vote.

6

You advance into the darkness, feeling with the edge of your weapon for any obstruction ahead. The tunnel continues northwards for more than a mile before turning sharply to the right. A few feet ahead, you can now see a stream of light pouring through another portal. Beyond this opening there is a staircase that descends down into the dark.
     If you wish to investigate the portal, turn to 224.
     If you decide to continue on your way towards the stairs, turn instead to 166.

Please make your votes on whether this particular portal is worth exploring before 9:00 AM PDT to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Beroli]

Investigate the portal.

[SGamerz]

Continue towards the stairs.

[JourneymanN00b]

Thank you for your votes. I will break the tie by having Lone Wolf continue his way towards the stairs.

166

At the bottom of the staircase you discover a new tunnel going northwards. You are about to follow it when your hand touches upon a lever protruding from the wall to your right. A closer examination reveals a secret door.
     If you wish to open the door, turn to 111.
     If you wish to continue along the new tunnel, turn to 336.

Please make your votes on whether to check out the door or the tunnel before 9:00 AM PDT to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Beroli]

Open the door.

[SGamerz]

Open.

[Thaluikhain]

Open secret door.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; opening the door.

111

The door slides open to reveal a wide, well-lit corridor running north to south. The low rumbling noise you detected earlier seems much louder here than in the darkness of the passage you have left behind. Set into the left side of the corridor wall is a closed door and in the distance you can see a junction.
     If you wish to walk ahead and investigate the junction, turn to 254.
     If you decide to close the secret door and then continue exploring the dark tunnel, turn to 336.

Please make your votes on whether to check out the junction or explore the tunnel before 9:00 AM PDT to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Beroli]

Investigate the junction.

[Thaluikhain]

Investigate junction.

[SGamerz]

Investigate.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; investigating the junction.

254

Set into the west wall of the corridor you see another stone door. It has a small crescent-shaped spy-hole cut into the center which reveals a cell on the other side. An old man is huddled in the far corner of this dingy cell, his face and hair matted with blood and dirt. His blue robes are so filthy that the crescents and stars embroidered on them are almost totally obscured.
     If you wish to open the cell door, turn to 56.
     If you choose to ignore this old man, you can continue along the corridor by turning to 276.

Please make your votes on whether to check out the cell or not before 9:00 AM PDT to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Beroli]

Open the cell door.

[Thaluikhain]

Open door.

[SGamerz]

Free the wizard prisoner.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; opening the cell door.

56

‘Upon my soul, a Kai!’ he exclaims, his eyes now wide with astonishment.
     ‘How I’ve prayed for freedom, for deliverance from this infernal place. And although hope never deserted me, I never expected such an illustrious rescuer.’
     In the middle of his excitement, the old man is suddenly disturbed by a fit of coughing that leaves him pale and exhausted. It is a few minutes before he can speak again.
     ‘My name is Loi-Kymar. I am an elder of the Magicians’ Guild of Toran,’ he says, slowly removing a small crystal star pendant, the symbol of the guild, from beneath his tattered robes. The guild is known as the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star, and the magician shows his pendant as proof of his identity. You ask him how he came to be imprisoned here in Ikaya, many hundreds of miles from his native Toran.


56. ‘My name is Loi-Kymar. I am an elder of the Magicians’ Guild of Toran.’

     ‘Vonotar, that unspeakable wretch, is responsible for my plight. Days before Darklord Zagarna’s invasion of Sommerlund, he betrayed your Kai masters to win power for himself – the black power of death and darkness. However, he failed to fulfill his role in the war plans his evil master had prepared. Darklords do not tolerate such weakness. Mercy has no place in their wicked minds. In the bitter aftermath of Zagarna’s defeat, the remaining Darklords sought to destroy Vonotar for his crime of failure. Vonotar knew that I alone possessed the means to effect an escape from their vengeance, for my Guildstaff has the power of teleportation. He tried to steal it and flee to the safety of Ikaya by himself, but he learned that its power is not for all people to share; only I am blessed with its secret. He was angry and would have murdered my kinspeople had I not agreed to bring him here, so I had no choice but to concur.’
     ‘Ever since that day, I have been a prisoner in this cell. Vonotar has tortured my body and my mind, but I have not divulged the secret of my Guildstaff, which he now keeps in the Hall of the Brumalmarc. For if I were to impart its secrets, my life would no longer be of any value.’
     You tell Loi-Kymar of your mission and of the events that have led to your meeting. He offers to show you a route through Ikaya to the Hall of the Brumalmarc where Vonotar now resides as ruler, and if you can retrieve his Guildstaff, he promises to teleport you to the coast in time to rendezvous with your ship.
     For the first time since you fell into the caverns of Kalte, you feel confident now that your mission can and will be successful.
     If you possess a Glowing Crystal, turn immediately to 267.
     If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 44.

Lone Wolf does not have a Glowing Crystal.

44

‘Follow me,’ says Loi-Kymar. ‘I’ve listened to the sounds of Ikaya for over a year, and its secret sliding doors and hidden routes are no longer a mystery to me. I have learnt more about these corridors and passages from the confines of my cell than Vonotar has discovered with all of his cunning and guile.’
     You follow the old magician through a network of secret passages and tunnels, up long flights of stairs and across chambers dark and cold. At the top of one very steep staircase, you come to a stone door. A strange sickly smell is seeping from a small crescent-shaped spy-hole.
     ‘The kitchens,’ whispers Loi-Kymar, showing his distaste for Ikaya cuisine by sticking out his tongue and grimacing.
     You can see that this secret door opens next to a fireplace with a roaring fire. Hanging over the fierce yellow flames is a large stone cauldron laden with bubbling gruel. Two Ice Barbarians sit at a table nearby with empty bowls resting in front of them. You notice their Bone Swords are propped against the wall beside the far kitchen door.
     If you possess Graveweed Concentrate, turn to 79.
     If you possess a Potion of Gallowbrush, turn to 157.
     If you possess neither of these potions, you can open the secret door and launch a surprise attack upon the unarmed Kaltese Warriors, by turning to 270.

Lone Wolf possesses a Potion of Gallowbrush, but not Graveweed Concentrate.

157

     You take the Potion from your Backpack and open the door carefully, just wide enough to slip your arm through and empty the contents of the vial into the bubbling cauldron. Remember to erase this potion from your Action Chart.



     You do not have to wait long for the Ice Barbarians to fall asleep after their meal. When you hear them snoring, you enter the kitchen. It is small and surprisingly well stocked with herbs.
     ‘These are from the Trading Post at Ljuk,’ says Loi-Kymar, peering closely at the labeled jars, several of which he crams into his pockets. Opening two herb jars, he mixes the contents, and offers them to you.
     ‘It will give you strength, Lone Wolf,’ he says. You eat the dry leaves and feel a warm glow radiating throughout your body.
     Restore 6 ENDURANCE points to your current total. If you have no Weapon, you may also take a Bone Sword from the sleeping Ice Barbarians (modify your Action Chart accordingly).
     To continue, turn to 301.

Lone Wolf has a Weapon, and I think the consensus is not to drop anything for a Bone Sword.

301

‘We’re on the same level as the Hall of the Brumalmarc,’ whispers Loi-Kymar, peering through a crack in the kitchen door. ‘It’s at the end of this corridor.’
     Two Ice Barbarians are standing beside the jewel-encrusted doors that lead to the great hall. They are covered from head to toe in strangely-fashioned bone armor, and they are armed with crystal-bladed swords. The old wizard steps back from the door and says:
     ‘We must deal with them silently and swiftly.’
     He takes three jars from his pockets and mutters a strange incantation as he mixes the contents together in a stone bowl. There is a pitcher of water on the table. He splashes a few drops onto the herbs, and wisps of blue smoke arise.
     ‘This will silence the guards… if we can just get it close enough to them.’
     If you have the Kai Discipline of Camouflage, and wish to use it, turn to 122.
     If you have the Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter, and wish to use it, turn to 228.
     If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, and wish to use it, turn to 347.
     If you do not possess any of the above Kai Disciplines, turn instead to 179.

Lone Wolf has the Kai Disciplines of Mind Over Matter and Hunting.

Here’s the recap: Lone Wolf rescues an old communist named Loi-Kymar, who asks him to get his Guildstaff so that he can transport Lone Wolf back to the Cardonal in time to complete his mission. The two of them manage to put two Ice Barbarians to sleep using Lone Wolf’s Potion of Gallowbrush. Loi-Kymar prepares an herbal blend that will deal with two more Ice Barbarians that are guarding the Hall of the Brumalmarc. Please make your votes on whether to use Mind Over Matter or Hunting as the delivery method of choice before 9:00 AM PDT to guarantee that they will be counted.

ACTION CHART
KAI DISCIPLINES:
1. Sixth Sense
2. Healing: +1 ENDURANCE point for each section without combat
3. Hunting: no need for a Meal when instructed to eat
4. Mindblast: +2 COMBAT SKILL points
5. Mindshield: no points lost when attacked by Mindblast
6. Animal Kinship
7. Mind Over Matter
WEAPONS:
1. Broadsword
2. Sommerswerd (In sections where it is specifically mentioned, +8 COMBAT SKILL and double damage against undead)
BACKPACK:
1. Laumspur Potion (+4 ENDURANCE)
2. Alether Concentrate (+4 COMBAT SKILL for one fight)
3. Meal
4. Long Rope (Slot 1)
5. Long Rope (Slot 2)
6. Concentrated Laumspur Potion (+5 ENDURANCE)
7. Laumspur Potion (+4 ENDURANCE)
8.
SPECIAL ITEMS:
• Kai Shield (+2 COMBAT SKILL when used in combat)
• Kai Gold Key
• Crystal Star Pendant (Reroll one number per adventure, unused)
• Helmet (+2 ENDURANCE)
• Ticket
• Red Pass
• Padded Leather Waistcoat (+2 ENDURANCE)
• Firesphere
• Blue Stone Triangle
BELT POUCH: 17 Gold Crowns
COMBAT SKILL: 15
ENDURANCE POINTS: 26/26
RULES:
• When in combat, stop to ask whether to use any items or abilities if ENDURANCE is less than 11 or Combat Ratio is less than -4
FASCIST KILL COUNT: 36
RESURRECTIONS USED: 1
NOTES:
• Visited the Ruins of Raumas
• Survived the perils of the Graveyard of the Ancients
• Visited Gorn Cove
• Bridge password is ‘sunset’
• Applied Baknar oil

[Beroli]

Use Mind Over Matter.

[Thaluikhain]

Second that.

[SGamerz]

Don't think it matters, none of the disciplines are likely to be bad choice. Mind Over Matter is fine.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; using Mind Over Matter.

228

You draw on all your powers of concentration to make the bowl of fuming herbs levitate into the air. Once you have achieved this, you send it hovering along the corridor. You bring it to rest in the shadow cast by the pilaster, and then you watch its effects with great curiosity. In less than one minute, the Kaltese guards have succumbed to its effects and collapsed limply to the floor.
     ‘Now’s our chance,’ whispers Loi-Kymar, and he ushers you out of the kitchen. You approach the Hall of the Brumalmarc undetected and discover that one of the magnificent jeweled doors is unlocked. Drawing your weapon, gently you push the door ajar and enter Vonotar’s chamber.
     Turn to 173.

173

The Hall of the Brumalmarc is a vast chamber constructed of crystal blocks rising to a central plateau. At its center stands the Brumalmarc throne, as old as Ikaya itself. There, Vonotar sits surrounded by the tomes and eldritch trappings of a necromancer. He is engrossed in study and does not see you enter the hall. He remains oblivious to your presence until Loi-Kymar unfortunately sneezes.
     ‘Who dares disturb me?’ hisses Vonotar, rising from the Brumalmarc throne, his eyes searching out an intruder. Upon seeing you, he emits a horrified gasp and fumbles for his black staff. He has the look of a criminal who has been discovered in the act of some dreadful crime. Quickly, you raise your weapon and climb the crystal pyramid. You know that you have but little time to reach him if you are to overpower and capture him alive.
     You reach the edge of the plateau in time to see a wide circle of blocks descending around the throne. Between you and Vonotar, a deep moat is forming. Then from the depths of the moat you hear a ghastly, inhuman gibbering. You brace yourself for combat but you are totally unprepared for the horror that faces you now. From out of the dark slithers a huge, ghoulish, green monster. Its deformed head is a mass of tentacles and suckers that ooze a putrid black slime. At the center of this writhing mass a hideous yellow eye pulsates wickedly. Vonotar has control over this monster and he is directing it to attack you.


173. From out of the dark slithers a huge ghoulish green monster over which Vonotar has control.

     If you possess an Effigy, turn immediately to 34.
     If you do not possess an Effigy but do possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 164.
     If you have neither of the above, turn to 200.

Lone Wolf does not possess an Effigy but does possess the Sommerswerd.

164

The tentacled horror rises out of the moat and attacks you. You glimpse Vonotar raising his black staff and fixing his gaze towards Loi-Kymar. He is attacking the old magician with his Mindforce. If Loi-Kymar is killed, the secret of the Guildstaff will die with him.
     But before you can attempt to save Loi-Kymar, first you must fight this monster to the death. It is an Akraa’Neonor: one of the undead. Remember to double all ENDURANCE points lost by this enemy during the combat, due to the power of the Sommerswerd.

Akraa’Neonor:
COMBAT SKILL 23       ENDURANCE 50

     If you win the combat in five rounds or less, turn to 272.
     If the combat takes more than five rounds to complete, turn to 324.

The combat:
Combat Ratio: 15 + 8 (Sommerswerd) + 2 (Mindblast) + 2 (Kai Shield) – 23 = 4
Round 1 Roll: 2
Player Endurance: 26 – 3 = 23
Akraa’Neonor Endurance: 50 – 12 = 38
Round 2 Roll: 8
Player Endurance: 23 – 0 = 23
Akraa’Neonor Endurance: 38 – 24 = 14
Round 3 Roll: 0
Player Endurance: 23 – 0 = 23
Akraa’Neonor Endurance: 14 – 32 = -18

Lone Wolf destroys the Akraa’Neonor in three rounds while only losing 3 ENDURANCE points in the process. Having dealt with that fascist monster, he now turns his attention back to this adventure’s big bad fascist.

272

As the vile Akraa’Neonor quivers and dies, Vonotar breaks off mind combat and runs back towards the Brumalmarc throne.
     Loi-Kymar is badly shaken but at least he has survived the ordeal. Quickly he joins you at the edge of the moat and casts a handful of herbs down into the darkness. Within seconds, a mass of vines and creepers coil upwards and entwine to form a bridge. You are halfway across this bridge when Vonotar suddenly reappears with a crystal rod held high in his hand. He takes aim at the mass of creepers and a chilling cone of frost hurtles from the tip of the rod.



     If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 213.
     If you do not possess this Special Item, pick a number from the Random Number Table.
     If the number you have picked is 0-2, turn to 143.
     If the number is 3-9, turn to 58.

Lone Wolf possesses the Sommerswerd.

213

You point the tip of the Sommerswerd towards Vonotar’s crystal rod. In an instant, the cone of frost arcs away from the bridge and shatters against the unyielding blade of your wondrous golden sword. Vonotar curses you as, once again, the power of the Sommerswerd saves you from his destructive magic.
     Turn to 252.

252

(Illustration overleaf)[/align]
‘Your time has come,’ shouts a voice. Unexpectedly, it is Loi-Kymar and not Vonotar who is speaking now. A knot of herbs flies through the air and hits Vonotar squarely in the chest. In an instant, the hunchback wizard is engulfed by a tangle of vines that ensnare him from head to toe. Loi-Kymar bridges the moat with creepers and joins you on the platform.
     ‘Be sure to remove his rings and amulets,’ he says, as he busily searches for his Guildstaff. ‘He is a master of trickery. We would not want him to miss the special homecoming that awaits him in Sommerlund.’
     You marvel at the old man’s composure. After such a desperate fight, he seems completely unruffled.
     ‘Ah! Here she is,’ he announces triumphantly, as he withdraws his Guildstaff from beneath the Brumalmarc throne.
     You pass him your map of Kalte and point out the location of the Cardonal.
     ‘I’ll not be needing that,’ he replies, a little contemptuously. ‘Maps are invariably wrong. I much prefer to rely on my own sense of direction.’
     The old magician raises his staff and a dazzling beam of light shoots from its tip. He makes three wide sweeps of the air and the Hall of the Brumalmarc is transformed into an umbrella of spectacular color.
     Turn to 350.


252. In an instant, the hunchback wizard is engulfed in a tangle of vines.

350

As the colors fade, you become aware of a sudden drop in temperature. You find yourself standing upon the Ljuk ice shelf, at a point less than half a mile from where the Cardonal lies at anchor. Loi-Kymar and Vonotar are close by, both shivering in the chill morning air. Within minutes you are sighted by the ship’s lookout and a longboat is dispatched to collect you. As a wriggling Vonotar is hoisted unceremoniously aboard the Cardonal and deposited in the brig, the captain is the first to come and congratulate you on your feat of skill and daring.
     ‘But how did you manage to return so quickly?’ he asks incredulously. ‘We were not expecting you for another ten days.’
     ‘Let us say,’ interrupts Loi-Kymar, ‘that the wisdom of the Kai and the lore of the Magicians’ Guild, when working in tandem, can surpass the limitations of even time itself.’
     A puzzled expression crosses the captain’s face, but it is gradually replaced by a smile as slowly he begins to understand the magician’s curious answer.
     Your journey to Anskaven is swift, but you find it difficult to think about anything other than the sad fate of the brave guides that were left behind, and the damage Vonotar’s tyranny inflicted on the Kaltese people – no doubt they will continue to consider the Sommlending as natural foes for decades after what just happened at Ikaya. You cannot help wondering whether you could have handled your mission in a better, nobler way.
     Your arrival in the port is greeted by an anxious crowd. They fear that your early return is a sign of your mission’s failure. When the news of Vonotar’s capture becomes known, your warrior skills are required once again – in defense of your enemy against the seething mob of outraged Sommlending that assault Anskaven jail. Safe passage is eventually secured to Toran where trial awaits the traitor.
     Upon the dawn of the feast of Maesmarn, in the depths of the Guildhall of the Crystal Star, Vonotar the Traitor is tried by the High Council of the Brotherhood and found guilty of his terrible crimes. He is led away in silence to the deepest chamber of the Guildhall, wherein lies a Shadow Gate. It is a portal of total darkness, a door to an eternal prison from whence none have ever returned.
     You are the avenger of his crimes, and by ancient rite, you are the one who casts the wretched traitor through the Shadow Gate, to the place that lies beyond this dread portal: the limbo of the Daziarn Plane.
     Your mission is now complete. You have survived the caverns of Kalte and freed Sommerlund from the menace of Vonotar the Traitor. Congratulations, Lone Wolf. Your King and your country rejoice in your victory and salute your skill and courage.
     You have triumphed in the ice wastelands of Kalte, and brought great honor to the memory of your slain fellow Kai. But now there is a new and challenging quest awaiting you. If you have the courage to accept this challenge, you may begin the quest in:

The Chasm of Doom

350. Vonotar is led away to the deepest chamber of the Guildhall wherein lies the Shadow Gate.

Well, capturing this adventure’s big bad fascist certainly was more exciting than dealing with Book 2’s big bad fascist. Congratulations for also completing this adventure without using a single resurrection, which is not an easy thing to do. Alas, Lone Wolf did not kill a lot of fascists in this adventure, with his kill count only going up from 35 to 37, if we count the Akraa’Neonor that Vonotar directed against our hero.

Given Lone Wolf’s existing equipment status and skillset, this is how I will be setting things up for book 4:

• While Lone Wolf managed to pick up some key items that will be useful for future adventures, he unfortunately failed to pick up a Special Item that would be very useful for the rest of his crusade against Magnamund’s fascists. This item, the Silver Helmet, would normally be picked up by opening the chest that Lone Wolf failed to open with his Mind Over Matter Kai Discipline. Getting the Ornate Silver Key required to unlock this chest required our hero to fight the ice creature at Ikaya’s entrance. Now, I can reintroduce this Special Item and give it to him at the beginning of Book 4, but he will not be allowed to take any additional equipment or Gold Crowns from the Royal Armory before beginning the adventure in order to keep things fair. He will also be forced to abandon his regular Helmet in order to make room for the Silver Helmet. If there is no interest in giving Lone Wolf the Silver Helmet, then he will be allowed to restock in the Royal Armory as he normally would.
• Lone Wolf will be given two resurrections, which will work just like the resurrection he used in Book 1 did. If he dies again after using his resurrections, he goes back to the beginning of Book 4.

Before we begin with The Chasm of Doom, I will answer any questions about Book 3 to the best of my ability, and provide details about any the following encyclopedic entries that this book contains upon request:

• The Magnamund Archives (there is a picture and two short paragraphs under this heading)
• The Icy Wastes of Kalte
• Anskaven
• Ice Barbarians (Kaltese)
• The Shianti
• Kalkoth
• Baknar
• Akraa’Neonor
• Vonotar
• The Giak Glossary

Since my work schedule is still somewhat intense, I will probably keep posting updates once a day.

Please post any questions that you want answered, any encyclopedic entries that you want provided, whether to give Lone Wolf the Silver Helmet for the next adventure instead of normally restocking his supplies, or any feedback that you wish to give by 9:00 AM PDT.

ACTION CHART
KAI DISCIPLINES:
1. Sixth Sense
2. Healing: +1 ENDURANCE point for each section without combat
3. Hunting: no need for a Meal when instructed to eat
4. Mindblast: +2 COMBAT SKILL points
5. Mindshield: no points lost when attacked by Mindblast
6. Animal Kinship
7. Mind Over Matter
WEAPONS:
1. Broadsword
2. Sommerswerd (In sections where it is specifically mentioned, +8 COMBAT SKILL and double damage against undead)
BACKPACK:
1. Laumspur Potion (+4 ENDURANCE)
2. Alether Concentrate (+4 COMBAT SKILL for one fight)
3. Meal
4. Long Rope (Slot 1)
5. Long Rope (Slot 2)
6. Concentrated Laumspur Potion (+5 ENDURANCE)
7. Laumspur Potion (+4 ENDURANCE)
8.
SPECIAL ITEMS:
• Kai Shield (+2 COMBAT SKILL when used in combat)
• Kai Gold Key
• Crystal Star Pendant (Reroll one number per adventure, unused)
• Helmet (+2 ENDURANCE)
• Ticket
• Red Pass
• Padded Leather Waistcoat (+2 ENDURANCE)
• Firesphere
• Blue Stone Triangle
BELT POUCH: 17 Gold Crowns
COMBAT SKILL: 15
ENDURANCE POINTS: 26/26
RULES:
• When in combat, stop to ask whether to use any items or abilities if ENDURANCE is less than 11 or Combat Ratio is less than -4
FASCIST KILL COUNT: 37
RESURRECTIONS USED: 1
NOTES:
• Visited the Ruins of Raumas
• Survived the perils of the Graveyard of the Ancients
• Visited Gorn Cove
• Bridge password is ‘sunset’
• Applied Baknar oil