Let's Play Lone Wolf: Book 29 and beyond!

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Mikl: Nov 8, 2009; Vote shit sandwich or the shit sandwich gets it!

Even if we tell the truth and they accept it, there's no telling if one of them will brag to have met Lone Wolf, last of the Kai Lords, over a pint of beer in a pub later on. Loose lips sink ships. Show invitation.

# ? Feb 26, 2018 07:51

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# ? Jun 5, 2024 07:13

The_White_Crane: May 10, 2008

Tiggum posted:

Do we tell the truth, show them Banedon's invitation or just get all haughty and demand to know what right they have to question us?

Showing the invitation is obviously the correct choice, but I think it would be more entertaining to ask them why they think we'll answer to a bunch of jumped up peasants.

# ? Feb 26, 2018 08:14

Toplowtech: Aug 31, 2004

nelson posted:

We have an invitation and wish to use it.

# ? Feb 26, 2018 08:20

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

nelson posted:

We have an invitation and wish to use it.

# ? Feb 26, 2018 09:11

Tiggum: Oct 24, 2007; Your life and your quest end here.

Mikl posted:

Even if we tell the truth and they accept it, there's no telling if one of them will brag to have met Lone Wolf, last of the Kai Lords, over a pint of beer in a pub later on. Loose lips sink ships. Show invitation.

I feel like that's a pretty remote possibility just because of the difficulty of tracking that information in a book like this, but I guess there are ways to make it work.

The Cauldron of Fear posted:

The burly sergeant snatches the parchment from your hand and studies it carefully. Without raising his head he asks how two Northlanders came to possess a personal invitation to one of Tahou�s most respected households. When Banedon explains your meeting with Lortha, and how he was once a student of Chiban, her husband, the sergeant somewhat reluctantly accepts your story and returns the Invitation. �Stay on the highway and make sure you reach Tahou by sunset,� he says, as he signals to his troop to let you pass. �Enemy scouts have been sighted in the hills south of the capital. If you�re not inside the city walls by nightfall � � He draws his finger quickly across his throat.

You thank him for his advice and watch as he and his troop wheel away and ride south. You pocket the Invitation and glance apprehensively at Banedon before pressing on with your own journey north.

It is late afternoon when you see the Tahou Hills. They appear like a mirage on the horizon, shimmering beyond the haze that rises from the sun-baked plain. Without stopping for food or rest, you hurry across the hot grasslands and follow the highway as it ascends towards the mouth of a pass. A stone watchtower guards the entrance to the hills and a cluster of whitewashed huts lie huddled around its base.

Your senses tingle with a premonition of danger�you are sure that the watchtower and huts conceal an enemy, lying in ambush. You tell Banedon your fears and he looks ahead, his keen eyes narrowing, but the pass is dark with the gathering dusk and he cannot detect anything unusual about the settlement, except that it appears deserted.

�If we avoid the pass, we�ll have to make a wide detour and rejoin the highway at a place deeper in the hills,� he says, scanning the shadowy highlands. �Even if we don�t get lost, we�ll be lucky to reach Tahou before nightfall.�

Do we make the detour or risk the ambush?

You need Pathsmanship and to have completed at least two of the three previous Magnakai books to get the option to detour. It's that "detect ambush" ability we got in book eight, which the rules say only works if you're not badly injured - but again the book didn't actually check.

# ? Feb 26, 2018 13:59

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Risk the ambush. We have yet to kill anything this book so far. I�m starting to get that feeling...

# ? Feb 26, 2018 14:09

Jackard: Oct 28, 2007; We Have A Bow And We Wish To Use It

An upgraded ability gave us the detour? then take it

# ? Feb 26, 2018 14:18

Jedit: Dec 10, 2011; Proudly supporting vanilla legends 1994-2014

Yeah, it's pretty much a spoiler to say "because we have Enhanced Dildomancy and the complete Lore-Circle of BDSM we can take this option" because so far as I know, those options never lead you wrong.

# ? Feb 26, 2018 14:25

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

We can't get possibly get lost with Pathmanship. There are no downsides to this detour.

# ? Feb 26, 2018 14:48

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

achtungnight posted:

Risk the ambush. We have yet to kill anything this book so far. I�m starting to get that feeling...

As we�ve seen from past experiences, going too long without a fight makes us do dangerous things like throwing cherry bombs into gas vents. Risk the ambush.

# ? Feb 26, 2018 15:31

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

Run the ambush, kill all in your path

# ? Feb 26, 2018 17:15

Helios Grime: Jan 27, 2012; Where we are going we won't need shirts; Pillbug

Let's take this baby offroad!

# ? Feb 26, 2018 17:36

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

Helios Grime posted:

Let's take this baby offroad!

Let�s take the path less travelled-by.

# ? Feb 26, 2018 19:53

ShadowWraith: Mar 28, 2011

Detour. Our Kai masteries have never lead us wrong, and generally lead us to more loot!

# ? Feb 26, 2018 21:18

Guy Fawkes: Aug 1, 2014; Lvl 62, +5 meadow defense

It's time for a little Detour...

# ? Feb 26, 2018 21:59

Tiggum: Oct 24, 2007; Your life and your quest end here.

Slavic Crime Yacht posted:

Run the ambush, kill all in your path

We do know it's coming, so maybe that will make a difference.

The Cauldron of Fear posted:

You enter the pass side by side, galloping your white Anarian steeds along the rubbish-strewn road that winds its way through the deserted settlement. As you pass the watchtower, a chilling howl rises from the shadows behind the huts. Then, like demons from a nightmare, a host of snarling Giaks bursts into view, riding from their hiding places astride giant Doomwolves. They thunder towards you on either side, shrieking and thrusting their spears at the darkening sky.

We roll: 6.

The highway twists like a restless snake as you gallop headlong through the darkening Tahou Hills. The unholy baying of the Doomwolves draws steadily closer as you fight desperately to keep your tired horses ahead of the ravening pack. Three miles from the watchtower settlement, the fastest pack members draw level with you as you race along a dry watercourse. Their eyes and fangs glint evilly in the moonlight as they cut across your path, forcing you to stand and fight.

The Doomwolves howl and their Giak riders cackle with glee as they hurl themselves upon you. You lash out at a grey-skinned rider, cleaving his grinning head in two, and swinging your arm back just in time to dispatch a Doomwolf that is leaping towards your face. All around you the snarl and screech and press of bodies threaten to overwhelm your senses, but you are a Kai Master and in the heat of battle your nerve is ice cool. Grimly you fight with a speed and skill that leaves a dozen dead in as many blows. But you do not fight alone. Banedon rears into view, flashes of flame spurting from his fingers with a crack, like a whip, that echoes above the din of combat. Then another wave of wolf-riders appears. They charge into the fray, driving a wedge between you and your companion. A black sword cuts the air less than an inch from your scalp, but you deal its wielder a fatal blow before he can strike a second time. He falls, yet his Doomwolf mount leaps up and clings to your horse, its claws buried in the saddle leather, its foaming jaws snapping at your throat. You must dispatch this beast quickly before it drags you both to the ground.

Doomwolf: COMBAT SKILL 18 ENDURANCE 26

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, add 2 to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of the fight.

Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 31 ENDURANCE 37 Doomwolf: COMBAT SKILL 18 ENDURANCE 26 Combat Ratio: 11+ We roll: 1 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 31 ENDURANCE 34 Doomwolf: COMBAT SKILL 18 ENDURANCE 17 We roll: 9 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 31 ENDURANCE 34 Doomwolf: COMBAT SKILL 18 ENDURANCE 0

The Cauldron of Fear posted:

The dead Doomwolf drops heavily to the ground and your horse rears up on its hind legs, churning the air with its forehooves, which strike like steel hammers amid the remaining wolf-riders. More than one ends its days with your horse�s hoofprint stamped upon its shattered skull. A gap appears and you see Banedon gallop past, his loose robe streaming out behind him like a pair of blue wings. You dig in your heels and urge your brave horse after him, fleeing the battleground as yet more of the wolf-riders loom into view.

Healing: +1 EP (35/37).

The wolf-riders give chase, but their pursuit is half-hearted and you have covered less than a mile when you hear the Giaks call off their hunt. They console themselves by hurling threats and vile curses at your backs as you disappear swiftly into the dusk.

The highway emerges from the hills at a village called Varta, situated on the edge of the Tahou flats. The flats consist of fields of cultivated crops forming a fertile market garden two miles wide which is farmed right up to the banks of the great moat that encircles the capital. Varta is deserted: its male inhabitants now shelter within the city walls, whilst the women and children have travelled south to the safety of Navasari. As you leave the empty town and descend onto the flats, you catch your first awe-inspiring glimpse of the ancient city.

Healing: +1 EP (36/37).

Tahou, an ancient stronghold containing a vast city, is a formidable and wondrous sight in the moonlight, the imposing walls and towers of red stone and grey rock assume the softening sheen of velvet, and the city is often referred to as �The velvet fortress�. Beyond the towers and high curtain wall you can see a thousand spires and minarets, grouped as thickly as the trees of a forest. Tiny lights twinkle in countless windows and portals, adding to the splendour of the mighty capital.

Near to the city�s South Gate, the highway is flanked by beacons which illuminate those who approach the gatehouse. A drawbridge spans a moat of black water and, as you ride across, a bell tolls from the portcullised archway ahead.

�Two civilian riders at the South Gate,� yells a soldierly voice.

�Raise the postern,� shouts another.

There is a clatter of chains and a scraping of stone. You watch the portcullis, expecting it to rise, but it does not move, Instead, a narrow portal opens at the base of the wall and an armoured guard steps from the shadows. He motions you to enter and you follow Banedon along a corridor of stone, leading to a secure enclosure. You glance upwards to see the faces of a dozen soldiers, peering down at you from behind a parapet that encircles the high enclosure walls. All of them grasp loaded crossbows which they train on you as you move. Then a small gate creaks open and two guards appear, armed with broad-bladed spears.

�Who are you?� one demands in a gruff tone. �Why do you seek entry to Tahou?�

Healing: +1 EP (37/37).

Do we show Banedon's invitation, tell them the truth or say we came to help defend the city?

Knowing about the giak ambush does change the outcome: it makes it slightly easier to avoid entirely (50% rather than 40% chance - we wanted to roll 0-4) but also prevents you from using a bow for some reason. If you ride into the trap unaware and use your bow then you automatically avoid the fight. Pathsmanship also takes away the option to choose to fight (which is exactly the same as failing to escape).

It's also possible to take the detour and still end up fighting the giaks, but you can avoid them that way if you make the right choices.

If you fight the doomwolf and you fail to kill it in three rounds then that fight will be followed by a much, much tougher one.

# ? Feb 27, 2018 01:22

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

So the detour may or may not have helped. Interesting. Show Banedon�s invitation. Looking like we may need a cover story again here.

# ? Feb 27, 2018 01:38

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

I like Banedon. He can hold his own in a fight and he bought us dinner.

Let�s show his invitation to the guards.

# ? Feb 27, 2018 02:09

Mister Perky: Aug 2, 2010

Invitation

Let's keep our cover story consistent whenever possible.

# ? Feb 27, 2018 02:51

Helios Grime: Jan 27, 2012; Where we are going we won't need shirts; Pillbug

Mister Perky posted:

Invitation

Let's keep our cover story consistent whenever possible.

Consistency is key.

# ? Feb 27, 2018 09:53

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

nelson posted:

I like Banedon. He can hold his own in a fight and he bought us dinner.

Let�s show his invitation to the guards.

# ? Feb 27, 2018 10:07

Tiggum: Oct 24, 2007; Your life and your quest end here.

The Cauldron of Fear posted:

The guards inspect the Invitation, their expressions conveying their doubt that the signature it bears is genuine. They order you to dismount and one of them hurries off to summon the gatehouse commander. Fortunately, when he arrives he recognizes Lortha�s mark and allows you to leave the enclosure, although he impounds both your horses. You protest and demand that they be returned, but to no avail.

�Orders of the Senate,� says the commander, offhandedly; �an emergency decree. All horses belonging to the civil population must be delivered into the care of the garrison stables until the state of emergency is lifted.�

Reluctantly you allow the guards to take your steeds and, as they are being led away, the commander hands you each a piece of vellum stamped with a date and a number. �Receipts,� he explains, his tone noticeably more friendly. You pocket your Receipt (mark this as a Special Item on your Action Chart; owing to its size, you need not delete another Special Item should you already carry the maximum quota) and are about to walk away when he calls out, �Report to the citadel first thing in the morning. You�ll be allocated your battle positions for when the enemy attack.�

Leaving your horses and the South Gate tower behind, you enter a wide avenue flanked by workshops and houses, all built of red stone or rock sheathed in red plaster. The buildings themselves are small and densely packed, yet each one, no matter how humble, has a spire or tower that soars into the sky.

The large sleepy-eyed heads of stone dragons gaze down from the balconies of minarets, crowned either with bulbous, onion-shaped domes of copper, or with platforms housing engines of war recently installed.

Banedon points to an eating house and suggests that you stop there for some refreshment. Chiban�s house is more than an hour�s walk from here, and you are ravenous after your long ride.

Shall we stop for some food or just press on to Chiban's?

It's not clear from the text whether this receipt and other items like it take up a Special Item slot when you're not carrying the maximum or if that special rule only applies if you're already carrying 12 other items, but I'm going to rule that items like it never take up any space - so we'll never need (or be able) to discard them to make room for anything else and right now we still have room to carry three more Special Items.

# ? Feb 27, 2018 13:15

Mikl: Nov 8, 2009; Vote shit sandwich or the shit sandwich gets it!

That "receipts" scene was nice.

Om nom nom.

# ? Feb 27, 2018 13:18

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Fill our bellies and our rumors needs at the tavern.

# ? Feb 27, 2018 14:14

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

achtungnight posted:

Fill our bellies and our rumors needs at the tavern.

# ? Feb 27, 2018 14:25

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

I daresay huntmastery could feed us if we fancied some raw urban pigeon but sod that. Food!

# ? Feb 27, 2018 14:40

anakha: Sep 16, 2009

We kinda need to get to where the Lorestone is ASAP, so skip the inn.

# ? Feb 27, 2018 16:16

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

Runcible Cat posted:

I daresay huntmastery could feed us if we fancied some raw urban pigeon but sod that. Food!

# ? Feb 27, 2018 20:59

Tiggum: Oct 24, 2007; Your life and your quest end here.

Runcible Cat posted:

I daresay huntmastery could feed us if we fancied some raw urban pigeon but sod that. Food!

What's the point of having money if not to spend it?

The Cauldron of Fear posted:

The eating house is crowded with soldiers. They sit at benches drawn up to long oak tables or sprawl around a log fire that crackles in a broad stone grate. Your entrance causes them to pause in their noisy conversations as they look you up and down. However, their curiosity is soon satisfied and they return to their feasting and boasting.

�This way, gentlemen,� beckons the owner, and leads you through the crowd to a table in the corner of the high-ceilinged room. Banedon hands him a clutch of silver Lune and the jolly red-cheeked man waddles away to fetch you food and ale. The soldiers are dressed in a variety of uniforms, many of which you recognize to be the tunics of mercenary regiments from the Stornlands. Two of these soldiers of fortune share your table. They talk in hushed tones and cast nervous glances at another group of men sitting near the fire.

Do we want to talk to these soldiers or just wait for our food?

# ? Feb 28, 2018 01:15

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Chat while we wait. It�d be fun if these were mercs we met back in Book 6.

# ? Feb 28, 2018 01:38

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

I think something's about to go down. Let's just wait and see what happens.

# ? Feb 28, 2018 02:07

Jackard: Oct 28, 2007; We Have A Bow And We Wish To Use It

Hello, friends!

# ? Feb 28, 2018 02:32

Materant: Jul 22, 2010; see, what you don't understand is he now has

THE MANLIEST MUSTACHE

_{_{_{_{it defies physics}}}}

achtungnight posted:

Chat while we wait. It�d be fun if these were mercs we met back in Book 6.

If you actually take part in that assault in Book 6 every choice you make during it, with the exception of bailing into the river (and then sewer), kills you. That assault was doomed. I suppose there's a chance these guys might be the same mercs but it would take some astronomical odds.

# ? Feb 28, 2018 07:18

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

WHAT'S UP, NERVOUS-LOOKING SOLDIER GUYS SPEAKING QUIETLY?

# ? Feb 28, 2018 08:10

The_White_Crane: May 10, 2008

Wait, in what universe do a Kai Lord and an Adept of the Order of the Crystal Star count as civilians?!
For that matter, don't we hold some sort of noble title these days?

Anyway, talk to the incredibly suspicious soldiers.

# ? Feb 28, 2018 08:22

Tiggum: Oct 24, 2007; Your life and your quest end here.

The_White_Crane posted:

Wait, in what universe do a Kai Lord and an Adept of the Order of the Crystal Star count as civilians?!
For that matter, don't we hold some sort of noble title these days?

Sure. In Sommerlund, not Anari.

achtungnight posted:

Chat while we wait. It�d be fun if these were mercs we met back in Book 6.

As Materant mentioned, those guys are very probably dead. Just like most of the other people we've met.

The Cauldron of Fear posted:

The men are plainly displeased that you have interrupted their conversation. One of them, a sallow-faced knave with dark eyes and curly black hair, snatches a jug from the table and takes a long swig. He slams it down and turns to his friend.

�Did you know,� he says, red wine squirting through his rotted teeth, �my brother Ghane was killed in Ragadorn last year? He was stabbed in the back by a lousy Northlander.� Slowly he turns his head and stares coldly into your eyes. �I hate Northlanders,� he snarls. �They�re all cowardly, backstabbing scum!� You notice his hand leave the jug and slip below the table.

We can offer our condolences, get ready to fight, or just make a quick exit.

Ragadorn is one of the few places where we didn't kill anybody. Also we were there a lot longer than a year ago.

# ? Feb 28, 2018 13:10

Kanthulhu: Apr 8, 2009; NO ONE SPOIL GAME OF THRONES FOR ME!

IF SOMEONE TELLS ME THAT OBERYN MARTELL AND THE MOUNTAIN DIE THIS SEASON, I'M GOING TO BE PISSED.

BUT NOT HALF AS PISSED AS I'D BE IF SOMEONE WERE TO SPOIL VARYS KILLING A LANISTER!!!

(Dany shits in a field)