Guy Fawkes posted:

Enter the Hut.
About Legends, I've read the first books and I mist admit I really didn't like them. The Gamebooks are absolutely one of my favorites, but often the narrative in the novels felt... forced, too many elements of grimdarkness pushed in there only for effect, not for a true narrative purpose.

Ratatozsk posted:

Tangential factoid: Lone Wolf receives a bottle of potable Tongues spells from the captain of the Green Scepter before he dies. He later uses this to speak to the Noodnicks in the tunnel to Durenor (did we skip them?) but it resurfaces in Kalte when he uses it to listen in on gossip of his guides and tell the sled dogs to shut up while they get hoisted up a mountain scaled as part of their journey. I appreciated seeing that little tie-in between books that also provides a mechanism for showing a segment of the story otherwise locked behind a rather specific skill. Some of the skills like healing and weapon mastery are easy enough to write in, whilst others are a bit ham handed: 'He had heard tell of the skill of Tracking, and suddenly saw the same field, only in the middle of winter with footprints clearly going to the left towards Holmgard,' (roughly paraphrased.)

Mikl posted:

Guys, put these red shirts on and then go inside.

The Chasm of Doom posted:

Your men push open the door with their swords and quickly enter. You hear a muffled voice, and a ranger soon reappears at the door. ‘It is safe, my Lord,’ he says, and stands aside to allow you to enter.

In the dim light of the interior, you see an old man seated at a table. The flicker of a log fire is all that illuminates this foul-smelling hovel, yet it sheds enough light for you to see the clutter of charts and strange instruments that crowd the hut. The man slowly raises his gaze from a large crystal sphere and bids you sit opposite him.

‘You know my name—how?’ you ask warily.

‘The stars foretold our meeting long ago, Lone Wolf,’ he replies, slowly passing his withered old hands around the sphere. ‘Be not alarmed by my knowledge for I wish only to aid you.’ He produces a small scroll of parchment from within his robe, and he hands it to you. Upon the scroll is written the following verse:

When the full moon shines o’er the temple deep,
A sacrifice will stir from sleep
The legions of a long forgotten lord.
When a fair royal maid on the altar dies,
The dead of Maakengorge shall rise
To claim their long-awaited reward.



You ask the meaning of the strange verse, but the old man does not answer you. He seems to have fallen into a deep trance. You lean across the cluttered table to awaken him and are shocked to see your hand pass straight through his body. Gradually his image begins to fade. Within seconds he has disappeared completely.

You place the Scroll in your pocket and quickly leave the hut, pausing only to wipe the cold sweat from your brow.

You have ridden less than five miles when you see a group of wagons on the highway ahead. They are painted in a gaudy mix of bright colours and drawn by teams of oxen. A huge tasselled banner flies above the leading wagon, which bears the following proclamation:

The Famous Asajir Players—Troubadours to the Imperial Courts of Magnamund

Tiggum posted:

Oh, and once again I've just got to comment on how utterly hideous some of Gary Chalk's illustrations of people are. That second troubadour looks like a corpse. An ugly corpse.[/i]

Tiggum posted:

Oh, and once again I've just got to comment on how utterly hideous some of Gary Chalk's illustrations of people are. That second troubadour looks like a corpse. An ugly corpse.

Ratatozsk posted:

If memory serves, a headshot of that guy was used for the death tally in the first thread.

The Chasm of Doom posted:

You signal to the driver to stop. The wagons halt and a small, moon-faced man in a bright pink tunic throws open the rear door of the leading carriage. He shouts and curses the driver as he descends the ladder, pausing only to adjust the cummerbund that barely covers his huge stomach. Seeing your men, he lets out a strangled shriek and fumbles for a short sword hanging at his side. ‘Bandits! Robbers!’ he cries, and wrestles to free his sword from its ornate scabbard. A row of anxious faces appears at the wagon windows, but the expressions soon change to a smile when they recognize your Sommlending uniforms.

‘Calm yourself, Yesu,’ shouts an elderly woman. ‘They are Sommlending rangers. They will not steal your gold.’ Laughter ripples along the carriages as the little fat man suddenly unsheathes his sword with such force that he spins around and tumbles to the ground.



‘You must forgive Yesu,’ says the old woman. ‘He means you no harm. “Raider’s Road” has made him a nervous wreck.’

You question the old woman, asking her where they have come from and their destination. You learn that they are a troupe of players and have journeyed many miles from their native land of Cloeasia in the east. They last played for the people of Eshnar, but it was a disappointing show. It seems that the town was as quiet as the grave; those who did come to see them were a sad and sorry crowd. They are now bound for Holmgard, and hopefully a more appreciative audience.

‘Light is fading,’ remarks the old woman. ‘Perhaps you and your men will camp with us tonight? We would deem it an honour, and would be happy to entertain you all with songs and dancing.’ You notice a hopeful look in the eyes of your men as they await your decision.

HOOLY BOOLY posted:

It's written vaguely enough to NOT have limitations though! i say we Zoro this poo poo up and wield our holy blade in our mouth while dual-wielding 2 other weapons we find this adventure

Jackard posted:

The Chasm of Doom posted:

The wagons are drawn into a circle and you set up camp inside. A ranger is posted to patrol the perimeter. The troubadours construct a small stage onto which strides Yesu. He calls for silence before announcing the title of their play, ‘The Brave Warriors of Sommerlund’, a choice that meets with the hearty approval of your men.

During the performance, you notice something very odd; not only is one of the actors using a real sword, but it is a type of sword only issued to officers of the Sommlending cavalry. After the play you approach the man to question him about the sword. He looks at you nervously and makes a dash for the darkness of the perimeter wagons.

achtungnight posted:

A clue!

Materant posted:

Get that man!

I'm going to be honest, I completely forgot this book existed before this run. Chasm of Doom is about the most forgettable adventure in the Kai (and probably the Magnakai) series.

WhiskeyWhiskers posted:

I actually really like it. It's just a nice adventure with some pretty cool sections.

Jackard posted:

The Chasm of Doom posted:

Although the wagons are shrouded in darkness, your Kai Hunting sense reveals to you the actor’s hiding place. You climb the ladder at the rear of a large caravan, push open the door with your weapon, and enter.

In the plush candlelit interior of the caravan you find the actor, cowering beneath a blanket in the far corner. You flick the blanket aside and ask the petrified man to explain how he came to possess such a fine sword.

‘I … I bought it in Eshnar,’ he stammers, his eyes wide with fear, ‘from the innkeeper of the “Pick and Shovel” tavern.’ He grasps the sword by the blade and offers it to you. ‘If it is your sword I have unwittingly bought, I am truly sorry. Here, please take it.’

You grip the brass hilt and examine it closely. There is no doubt: it is a Sommlending cavalry sword, but the inscription on the blade makes your heart miss a beat: ‘Captain Remir D’Val—King’s Guard Regiment’.

If you wish to keep this sword, mark Captain D’val’s Sword on your Action Chart as a Weapon.

You return to the troubadours’ stage in time for a meal that has been prepared by your hosts. The steaming broth smells most appetising.

vilkacis posted:

...Is that dagger what I think it is? I can't imagine it tastes very good.

Jackard posted:

Has anyone brought up the Android gamebook, Blood on the Snow?

achtungnight posted:

Trade Dagger for Sword, eat broth.