- Aschlafly
- Jan 5, 2004
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I identify as smart.
(But that doesn't make it so...)
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There's a similar rule about anyone foolish enough to sail with a Kai Lord onboard.
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Mar 28, 2018 22:16
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- Adbot
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ADBOT LOVES YOU
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Jun 5, 2024 13:54
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- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
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Your life and your quest end here.
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We don't have Curing, but we do have Healing. It's almost as good.
The Prisoners of Time posted:One of the scouts turns his head and answers your mind-call out loud. ‘Show yourself!’ he orders, much to the surprise of his two companions, who possess no psychic skill and did not hear your telepathic message. You emerge from the foliage, your hands held open and away from your body. The other two spin round to face you, raising their forearms in reflex action at your sudden appearance.
‘Hold it!’ snaps the telepath to his companions, who are both on the verge of firing their bows. ‘He is the one.’
They seem unimpressed by his judgement and refuse to lower their bows until you suggest that one of them looks in your pocket if it is proof of your identity they require.
The scout removes the Obsidian Seal from your tunic pocket and studies it thoughtfully. ‘Very well,’ he says, satisfied that you are the one they have been detailed to escort, ‘we will take you to Lorkon Ironheart.’ He pockets the Obsidian Seal (delete this Special Item from your Action Chart) and motions you to approach his strange, long-haired steed.
You ride pillion behind the saddle, yet the creature’s shaggy coat makes for a comfortable seat as the steed gallops like a racehorse along the winding hill road. Huge tree trunks flash past—a blur of grey and brown—and the hills gradually recede until the forest rules supreme. The scouts leave the road and follow a smaller track which delves deep into this majestic timberland. They slow their pace, feeling safer now that they are back in familiar territory, and soon you arrive at a clearing. Hundreds of Meledorian soldiers are encamped here inside a perimeter wall of earth and logs. A cordon of sentries patrols the wall: they are alert and nervous, their eyes scrutinizing every shadow. A wheeled barricade of sawn timbers protects the only entrance and, at your approach, it is pushed aside to allow you entry. A small log cabin has been built at the heart of the tented encampment and the scouts bring their steeds to a halt near its front door. Quickly they dismount and usher you inside to meet their leader.
Seated before you at a desk lit by tall candles, one set at each corner, are two pale-skinned Meledorian nobles. The flickering yellow flame glints on the fine antique workmanship of their armour and exaggerates the shadows that play on their faces as they argue their strategies for an impending battle.
On seeing you enter, the conference is brought to an abrupt close. One of the officers bows and takes his leave; the other beckons a scout to approach the desk and make his report. Briefly the scout tells of how they met you and what has become of your Ookor escort. He shows the officer the Obsidian Seal given to you by Serocca before leaving the city of Thas. The officer clasps the pyramidal stone in the palm of his hand then stares directly into your eyes. A tingle of surprise prickles your skin when you return his gaze, for you notice that his eyes are misty blue, without whites or any obvious pupil.
A wave of psychic energy rushes through your mind, washing across your thoughts, searching for some sign of hostile intent. Your Psi-screen allows you to resist the intrusion and the wave quickly recedes.
With a gesture of his hand Lorkon Ironheart dismisses the scouts and you are left alone in his company.
‘So you are the Aonian for whom Mistress Serocca would have me postpone the war against chaos,’ he says sardonically, reaching for a decanter of ruby red wine. He fills two crystal goblets and offers one to you. ‘Let us toast the success of your treasure hunt,’ he says, raising his glass on high.
‘And to your triumph over chaos,’ you add diplomatically.
He smiles as he sips the bitter vintage and you regard each other with thoughtful curiosity. He has a youthful face, with high cheek-bones, narrow jaw, and a thin, chiselled, aristocratic nose. His silver hair is a mass of silken threads flowing from beneath the rim of his ornate conical helmet to fan across his wide shoulders and thick, vermilion cloak. But it is his eyes that fascinate you most, for they are filled with knowledge and ancient wisdom.
You talk at length about events which have brought you to the Nahgoth Forest in search of Lorkon’s help, and in return he tells you of the dangers you may face at Tolakos.
From a gold-capped leather tube Lorkon produces a map of the Nahgoth which details the location of his encampment, the burial grounds of Tolakos, and the last known position of the Chaos-master’s horde. The scale is measured in leagues but you are able to calculate that Tolakos lies only ten miles from Lorkon’s camp. A curvy red line has been drawn diagonally across the map to show where scouts last sighted the Chaos-master’s troops, and this line passes dangerously close to the burial grounds.
‘You must leave as soon as possible if you are to be sure of reaching Tolakos before it is claimed by the enemy,’ says Lorkon, pointing to the bold red line. ‘This was drawn three hours ago. If the Chaos-master decides to advance, he is within eight hours’ march of the burial grounds. This means that in only the next five hours can you be sure to find Tolakos unoccupied. I intend to march my army forward and hold Tolakos but I await reinforcements and I dare not move until they arrive. Therefore I will provide you with a scout who knows the area well. He will guide you to your destination—the rest is up to you.’
Lorkon sends for the scout, a Meledorian called Odel. When he arrives he suggests that you visit the equipment tent before setting off through the forest.
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Mar 28, 2018 22:19
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- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
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I get my fun here. Enjoy!
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Why not pick up some gear?
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Mar 28, 2018 22:31
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- moosecow333
- Mar 15, 2007
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Super-Duper Supermen!
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Let's check out the equipment stocks. I'm sure we could find some more arrows.
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Mar 28, 2018 23:44
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- nelson
- Apr 12, 2009
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College Slice
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Get some gear.
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Mar 29, 2018 00:41
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- Toplowtech
- Aug 31, 2004
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No-one should say no to free gear. Get the gear.
Toplowtech fucked around with this message at 12:33 on Mar 29, 2018
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Mar 29, 2018 10:24
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- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
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Your life and your quest end here.
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The Prisoners of Time posted:‘Luck be with you, Aonian,’ says Lorkon, as you turn to leave his cabin. ‘Remember, I will be marching to Tolakos as soon as my reinforcements arrive.’
You thank him and bid him farewell, before following Odel the scout as he wends his way through the busy encampment to the equipment tent. Two grim-faced guards bar your entry, but when Odel tells them on whose authority you are here, they quickly lower their spears and allow you to pass. The tent is full of weapons and provisions and Odel suggests that you take whatever you need. You may select from the following:- Sword
- Spear
- Mace
- Dagger
- 6 Arrows
- Bow
- Quiver
- Backpack
- Quarterstaff
- Short Sword
If you wish to keep any of these items remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly.
Odel replenishes a quiver of bolts that he carries on his hip and checks that the crossbow he wears strapped to his forearm is functioning properly. Satisfied, he folds away its hinged bow arms, and then slips a brace of throwing knives into the tops of his boots. ‘Are you ready?’ he asks, as you finish adjusting your equipment. ‘Yes,’ you reply, confidently. ‘Let’s go.’
You leave the encampment by slipping over the perimeter wall, and quickly merge like shadows into the thick forest beyond. The giant trunks support a canopy of dense foliage that blocks out most of the light and keeps the forest floor bathed in a perpetual twilight. A carpet of moss muffles your footfalls and the only foliage that grows in abundance is a bushy velvet lichen patterned with orange-headed, tooth-sized growths.
The berry-like growths smell sweet and succulent. They awaken your appetite and remind you that your last meal was several hours ago. - I'll assume that we want to top up our arrows, but we could also pick up one of the weapons if we wanted to. We already have a quiver and a backpack so we can't take those.
- Should we eat some berries or leave them?
Interesting trivia: A brace is another way to say a pair.
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Mar 29, 2018 10:37
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- Toplowtech
- Aug 31, 2004
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Eat the berries.
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Mar 29, 2018 12:34
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- nelson
- Apr 12, 2009
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College Slice
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Take the Dagger
Ignore the weird berries as we still have (3) meals in our backpack.
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Mar 29, 2018 14:37
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- moosecow333
- Mar 15, 2007
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Super-Duper Supermen!
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I like how there isn't even an option to ask our guide about the berries. Well, lets try them out.
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Mar 29, 2018 16:28
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- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
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I get my fun here. Enjoy!
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Avoid the berries. I have bad memories of a D&D game where my character faced such a dilemma. His guide said they were great so he indulged, only to find out the hard way the berries were poisonous to humans and the guide didn’t know this despite being a high level Ranger.
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Mar 29, 2018 16:34
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- Mister Perky
- Aug 2, 2010
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let's not trip balls before our quest objective.
we've spent backpack inventory space on food items let's use them
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Mar 29, 2018 16:38
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- Leraika
- Jun 14, 2015
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Luckily, I *did* save your old avatar. Fucked around and found out indeed.
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Eat the weird alien berries, what could go wrong
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Mar 29, 2018 16:42
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- ShadowWraith
- Mar 28, 2011
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No berries, thanks.
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Mar 29, 2018 19:00
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- EclecticTastes
- Sep 17, 2012
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"Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."
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It's uncanny how there always seems to be a Let's Play ongoing for whatever old-rear end game I've started playing this week, even when it's not even a video game. Just started playing the series out of curiosity this past weekend, and it's been great. Gonna abstain from voting here, though, as I've just started the Grand Master series and thus know all the right choices up through this and the next book (also, condolences on having had to get through Castle Death and Jungle of Horrors without Curing). I'll say, though, that skimming the thread has been enlightening, I occasionally peeked down alternate paths each book, saw how you could gently caress up your CS getting frostbite in Caverns of Kalte, but I didn't know about the one in Jungle of Horrors.
Compared to Fighting Fantasy, I would say I prefer Lone Wolf, despite the occasional dick move. Whereas Fighting Fantasy feels mostly like single-player D&D campaigns, Lone Wolf feels more like you're really stepping into the shoes of an old pulp fantasy character, like Conan the Barbarian, in large part because of the persistence between books. In particular, the way your items start to feel like minor characters in their own right, which is something you saw in a lot of pulp fantasy, because, like Lone Wolf, most pulp fantasy heroes traveled alone or with just one or two companions (rather than the "fellowship" large-party model that Tolkien made so popular), and more often it was the items the hero used that took center stage. The Sommerswerd is, of course, the most prominent example, but like most pulp heroes, Lone Wolf (assuming one has played all the books) has a lot of little trinkets or secondary weapons that show up again and again in their stories, such as the Kalte Firesphere or the Silver Bow of Duadon.
This actually hearkens back to the old Greek and Norse myths (among others) that served to inspire a lot of pulp fiction, where heroes like Sigurd, Hercules, etc. would accumulate a number of special items, sometimes significant due to being magical, other times just significant because of their origins or previous owners, or just because the hero used it exclusively. Whatever else one might say, Joe Dever definitely understood the genre he was writing.
Also:
Also gently caress you book for showing us the awesome quickshot crossbow and not allow us to have one. 
Those crossbows probably don't give you +3 to murdering things with arrows. 
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Mar 30, 2018 00:38
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- Comstar
- Apr 20, 2007
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Are you happy now?
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Warn Odel It's a Trap!
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Mar 30, 2018 02:12
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- nelson
- Apr 12, 2009
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College Slice
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Mar 30, 2018 02:40
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- moosecow333
- Mar 15, 2007
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Super-Duper Supermen!
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A blowgun? That's cute, let's introduce them to our bow.
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Mar 30, 2018 02:49
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- EclecticTastes
- Sep 17, 2012
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"Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."
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This passage reminds me, I thought it was a nice touch how the Magnakai series continued referencing your basic Kai skills as solving problems automatically, as a reminder that the problems your new skills are handling are Magna-level problems, far beyond those a normal Kai Lord could deal with. Actual multi-million dollar video games often fail to properly show how far your character has come, and here's a book from the mid-eighties that completely nails it.
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Mar 30, 2018 03:58
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- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
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Your life and your quest end here.
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Trusting to the local expert rather than relying on our own skills...
The Prisoners of Time posted:You whisper a warning to your guide; then simultaneously you dive for cover behind the same tree, out of the creature’s line of fire. Odel rolls over and sits with his back to the trunk while he sets the metal crossbow that is strapped to his forearm. As soon as he is ready, you leap across the gap to another tree in the hope of drawing the creature’s fire. Your ploy works: the sniper fires his blowpipe at your fleeting form, missing you by a wide mark, and Odel is able to pinpoint his position. He points and fires, sending his bronze bolt deep into the scaly abdomen of an Agtah sniper—your would-be assassin. The creature gives a piercing shriek and tumbles to the ground, landing with a sickening thud near the uprooted base of Baylon’s Bough.
You compliment Odel on his bow-skill and rush forward, half-crouched, to search the Chaos-creature’s body.
The greasy grey body is naked save for a loincloth of filthy animal hide, soaked with the black blood that gushed from its wound. In a taloned hand it grips the blowpipe, rudely fashioned from a Meledorian’s thighbone. Odel curses this dead spawn of chaos and rises to his feet, clearly disturbed by what he has seen. He suggests that you head for Tolakos straight away.
There is a moment of cold fear when you first set eyes on the burial grounds of Tolakos. An eerie blue glow, cast by clumps of bacterial fungi, illuminates a mist that seeps from the tombs and crypts of this ancient necropolis. The swirling vapour is contained by a wall which encircles the graveyard, although it is broken in many places where trees have displaced the mouldering stonework. With a weapon at the ready you follow Odel towards one such gap in the wall, which is overshadowed by a great mausoleum.
‘This is the Vault of Sedron,’ whispers Odel, as he clambers over the rubble and crouches beside its damp grey wall. ‘Old King Kalon sleeps here.’ He removes a throwing knife from his boot and with its tip he points to the other funereal landmarks of Tolakos and identifies them one by one. ‘That’s the Crypt of Juilor. Over there are the Graves of the Faithful, and there’s Baylon’s Tomb. The Chaos-master and his minions have kept us away from here for nearly a generation, but Lorkon is determined to wrest it from him and restore it to its past glory. Over there, near the centre, is the Grand Sepulchre. That’s where the bloodline of the Ironheart clan are laid to rest.’
You stare at this macabre building and a powerful feeling electrifies your body. The Sepulchre is an imposing sight, yet it is not the grim splendour of its design that exhilarates you. You are ablaze with the realization that somewhere here, in the Grand Sepulchre of the Ironhearts, lie the last two Lorestones of Nyxator: the objects of your quest.
‘I must search that tomb,’ you say, staring fixedly at the huge door that dominates the Sepulchre’s blue-grey sculptured facade. Odel frowns and casts his eyes nervously at the surrounding mist. ‘I cannot enter,’ he says. ‘I am not of clan blood. If you choose to go through that door you must go alone.’
You sense that nothing will induce Odel to break his clan law, but you are anxious not to lose a valuable guide. ‘When I enter the Grand Sepulchre will you wait for me here?’, you ask, hoping he will agree. Silently he considers your request. ‘Yes,’ he says, without enthusiasm. ‘But search swiftly. The creatures of chaos are close. I can feel it in my blood.’
You exchange stern smiles then hurry away through the knee-deep mists, towards the great door.
The portal is secured by a massive metallic lock, and engraved into its blackened surface is a quartered square. In three of the four quarters there are etched symbols, but the fourth quarter, which is formed of a soft, clay-like substance, remains blank. Your basic Kai instincts tell you that the symbols are a clue to a Meledorian code that unlocks the great door. By inscribing the correct symbols in the soft surface of the blank square, you will cause the portal to open. Study the sequence carefully:
Your senses of Pathsmanship and Divination warn that a powerful spell protects this portal. If you inscribe the wrong symbol on the blank square you will break the spell, the consequences of which could be fatal!
Below are shown four groups of symbols, only one of which is correct. One group, when inscribed on the blank square, will open the lock that secures the great door.
Study the symbols carefully and compare them with the other three groups in the illustration above. Choose the group of symbols that completes the sequence of four.
If you choose not to pick up extra equipment back at the Meledorian camp then you skip the poisonous berries and the Agtah ambush.
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Mar 30, 2018 10:46
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- Maugrim
- Feb 16, 2011
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I eat your face
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C.
Also, if we left our silver bow behind, why did we have the option to use it in the ambush?
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Mar 30, 2018 11:10
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- Broken Box
- Jan 29, 2009
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This, also loss.jpg
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Mar 30, 2018 12:28
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- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
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I get my fun here. Enjoy!
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drat, my D&D character only took 2d8 (14) points of damage from violent retching because he made his saving throw. Those Daziarn berries are nasty!
D should open the tomb.
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Mar 30, 2018 13:06
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- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
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I get my fun here. Enjoy!
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Did your D&D character force himself to keep eating even though the berries tasted awful and were physically hard to swallow? Because I feel like that's where Lone Wolf goes the extra mile.
No. If Lone Wolf did that, well... he deserves what he gets. And I'm sure this isn't the last time we'll run into potentially poisonous berries. 
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Mar 30, 2018 13:38
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- nelson
- Apr 12, 2009
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College Slice
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C
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Mar 30, 2018 16:00
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- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
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Your life and your quest end here.
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Two white circles and a white triangle.
The Prisoners of Time posted:A soft, whirring noise emanates from inside the lock, and then silently and effortlessly the great portal swings open. With your nerves on edge you enter the dark interior and follow a featureless corridor to another large but less impressive door, which opens at your approach. A surge of damp air whips past you, sucked into the chamber beyond, as the airtight seal is broken after many decades. Torches ignite spontaneously and, for the first time in its long history, the secrets of the inner sanctum of the Great Sepulchre are revealed to the eyes of an Aonian.
At the centre of the chamber stands the statue of a proud Meledorian warrior, clad in battle-dress and with his sword raised in challenge. Seven closed caskets lie at his feet with seven more beside them, open and empty, awaiting future generations of the Ironheart clan. Here you can sense the presence of the Lorestones more strongly: your skin tingles and your pulse begins to race. But, despite your reactions, you can tell that they lie not within this chamber but somewhere nearby.
Behind the tall statue you discover a narrow stair that ascends to a circular portal in the ceiling. Close to the foot of the stairs there is an arched door of sparkling blue metal.
Gently the Sommerswerd vibrates in its scabbard and a cool, golden fire laps at the hilt. Instinctively you unsheathe it and immediately the blade is engulfed by golden flames, ignited by the close proximity of the Lorestones. As you raise the sword, the flames burn brighter and illuminate the circular portal in the ceiling. At once you realize that it must provide access to the roof of the Sepulchre and, with your heart pounding, you race up the steps, confident of finding the objects of your quest waiting for you there.
A lever operates the portal and, when you pull it, the circular hatch creaks open and a shaft of grey light washes over your head and shoulders. Your senses burn with expectation. You grip the rim and start to pull yourself through the hole, but a dark shadow and a cold wind sweep over you, making you flinch and fall back on the stairs. There is a loud crack, like a sharp clap of thunder; then a terrible scream of agony echoes through the forest. Fear and anger grip your senses as you realize that you have just heard the dying scream of Odel, your guide. Enraged, you leap for the portal and pull yourself onto the roof, where the Lorestones and an unexpected enemy await you.
Perched on a bough overhanging the roof is a gigantic black-winged bird. Seated on its back is a magnificent warrior dressed in scarlet silk and polished silver mail. His head is crowned by an elaborate helmet, its visor formed in the shape of a roaring dragon with jewelled eyes and fiery breath. The tangled branches prevent the bird from landing, but a rope ladder hangs from its saddle and the warrior uses it to climb down onto the roof. He leaps the last few feet and his landing disturbs the dense mist that carpets the surface, rolling it back to reveal two glowing golden spheres of crystal, each filled with fire, lying close to where he now stands. He crouches down and your stomach churns with dread as you see him reach out to grab the golden Lorestones.
I bet Lone Wolf's glad he convinced Odel to hang around.
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Mar 30, 2018 20:15
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- Broken Box
- Jan 29, 2009
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Sommerswerd just got a bunch of vanity text so let's attack with the sword.
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Mar 30, 2018 20:22
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- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
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I get my fun here. Enjoy!
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Lots of people die just hanging around and associating with Lone Wolf. It’s not really his fault.
We have a bow and we wish to use it!
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Mar 30, 2018 20:24
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- Adbot
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ADBOT LOVES YOU
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Jun 5, 2024 13:54
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- Mister Perky
- Aug 2, 2010
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show this creature the arrowr of his ways with our Bow with which we have so many bonuses it's almost literally impossible to misfire.
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Mar 30, 2018 20:25
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Mar 28, 2018 22:16
