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

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Let's Play Lone Wolf: Book 29 and beyond!

TooMuchAbstraction: Oct 14, 2012; I spent four years making
Waves of Steel
Hell yes I'm going to turn my avatar into an ad for it.; Fun Shoe

Sleep.

Presumably if we had an instrument and the ability to play it, then we could participate in the show for extra cash, but whatevs.

# ? Sep 12, 2018 16:03

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# ? Jun 5, 2024 10:23

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

Sleep, I'm sure the show is just a feint to get more of our stuff blithely stolen.

# ? Sep 12, 2018 16:32

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

The show must go on!

# ? Sep 12, 2018 20:38

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

nelson posted:

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends.

Voyage of the Moonstone posted:

You seat yourself near the crackling campfire and one of your fellow passengers offers you a piece of fruit which you gratefully accept. The troupe are gifted acrobats and jugglers and the performances they give are very entertaining. During their act the leader of the troupe climbs upon a large barrel and challenges the audience to answer a riddle:

�An old, one-legged farmer, his wife, his dog, his horse, and his cows, have 103 legs between them. How many cows does the old farmer have?�

The leader is sure that nobody will answer his riddle correctly. He is so sure that he offers 10 Gold Crowns to anyone who can give him the correct answer in less than thirty seconds.

The book actually challenges you to solve this in 30 seconds, so no cheating! What's the answer?

# ? Sep 13, 2018 01:12

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

"[on their way to San Fierro]
The Truth: Carl, do you know how many satellites the government has in space?
Carl Johnson: No. How many?
The Truth: Twenty-three. Do you know how many biblical artifacts the government is keeping at the Pentagon?
Carl Johnson: No.
The Truth: Twenty-three. Don't you see a pattern here?"

- Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.

The answer is 23.

Farmer has one leg, wife has 2- 100 legs left. Divide it by four (number of legs per animal) and there are 25 animals. Subtract 1 dog and 1 horse, 23 cows left. 23.

# ? Sep 13, 2018 01:19

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

# ? Sep 13, 2018 02:26

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

Voyage of the Moonstone posted:

The leader of the troupe says nothing, yet the crestfallen look on his face is enough to tell you that you have answered his riddle correctly. Your fellow passengers cheer and applaud your display of mental dexterity as you walk to the barrel to collect your prize of 10 Gold Crowns. ~~(If you already possess the maximum number of Gold Crowns permissible, you share the coins out generously among those passengers who are travelling in your carriage.)~~

The show continues, but you are feeling tired and so you return to the empty passenger wagon. Before you pull your cloak around yourself and settle down to sleep, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points (unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery).

You are woken early the following morning by the motion of the carriage. As you rub your eyes and stretch your aching limbs, your fellow passengers tell you that the caravan has been on the move for more than an hour. They are eating a breakfast of bread and fruit which they generously offer to share with you.

It is almost noon when the stone town of Bavari looms into view. Most of its sun-bleached shops and houses are contained within a wall of uncemented stone blocks which rise to twice the height of a horse. The road approaches a heavy wooden gate, banded and studded with iron, which is flanked by circular guard towers. Perforating the walls are slits for archers and openings for larger machines of war.

The procession of wagons passes through the gate and comes to a halt in the middle of Bavari. As you disembark you sense an air of excitement pervading this town. You overhear the other passengers talking and you learn that today is the third day of the Bavarian gladiatorial circus�an annual event which attracts the finest warriors of Vassagonia to come here and compete with each other in armed combat. Great wealth and status are the rewards for those who triumph; disgrace and sometimes death await those who fail.

You are curious to see this great event and so you follow a group of passengers to Bavari�s arena where the gladiatorial circus is being staged. Entrance to the arena is free and you take a seat on one of the many stone tiers that encircle its oval-shaped fighting area. Throughout the afternoon several combats are staged between warriors on foot and on horseback. The heat of the desert sun is unrelenting, and by late afternoon you are feeling parched. During a lull in the contests, you hear the tinkling sound of running water and you decide to seek out its source. You descend to the edge of the fighting area and enter a tunnel which passes beneath the tiers of seats. Halfway along this cool tunnel is an open door set into the whitewashed wall. Through the doorway you see a bronze fountain standing in the middle of an empty room. It is richly embellished with engravings which depict ancient gladiatorial contests, and a stream of sparkling water issues upwards from a nozzle at its centre, inviting you to drink.

You are desperate to slake your thirst and so you enter the room and stoop over the fountain. You are swallowing the deliciously cool water when suddenly you sense someone rushing at you from behind.

Shall we ready our weapon and prepare to fight, or merely turn around to see what this person wants?

We now have 11 Gold Crowns.

# ? Sep 13, 2018 09:55

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

Turn arouuuund, Braaaveheart...

# ? Sep 13, 2018 11:10

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

Probably someone coming to tell us that water is for gladiators only. Drink faster!

Oh wait that's not an option. Suppose we'd better turn around then.

# ? Sep 13, 2018 11:14

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

Turn around. If water is for gladiators only, we can do a one time exhibition match right?

# ? Sep 13, 2018 13:38

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

Runcible Cat posted:

Turn arouuuund, Braaaveheart...

# ? Sep 13, 2018 13:57

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

Turn around! We might be drinking out of the urinal for all we know.

# ? Sep 13, 2018 14:28

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

Tiggum posted:

We now have 11 Gold Crowns.

Yay!

Turn around, better be ready for anything without starting a ruckus. We are in unknown territory.

# ? Sep 13, 2018 21:27

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

Voyage of the Moonstone posted:

The moment you turn around you find yourself staring into the face of a tall and powerfully built Vassagonian warrior. His eyes glow with a maniacal anger and, without warning, he closes his hands around your throat and crushes your windpipe in a vice-tight grip. Blood pounds at your temples and your vision blurs as he lifts you bodily from the floor. To break his grip you slam your boot into his stomach and he doubles up, releasing you as he falls gasping to his knees.

You stagger backwards and grab the fountain for support as gingerly you clasp your bruised throat. With croaking voice you demand the warrior explain the reason for his unprovoked attack. He answers you with a growl; then he draws his sword and strikes out at your legs. You leap over his scything blade and kick out in mid-air to catch him squarely between the eyes with the hardened toe of your boot. The warrior is flung backwards and you hear a loud Crack! as his head strikes the tiled floor.

Suddenly six burly gladiators come rushing into the room with their swords drawn.

�How dare you enter the Chamber of the Font!� screams one scar-faced fighter.

�It is forbidden!� shouts another. �Only gladiators of Vassa lineage may enter here and drink the holy waters!�

There is further outrage when they see your attacker lying on the floor. The scar-faced fighter kneels and places a hand to the man�s neck, and then he glares at you and screams: �He�s dead! You�ve killed Malduz!�

�We�ll see you pay for this,� shouts another, and slowly the angry men advance into the room with murder blazing in their eyes.

Desperately you look around for a means to escape, but the doorway offers the only way of leaving the room. You are about to rush at the advancing gladiators and fight your way through them, when suddenly you see something that stops you dead in your tracks.

A dozen arena guards rush into the room and elbow their way through the gladiators� advancing ranks. They are armed with Bor muskets which they level at your head and chest. These primitive firearms are wildly inaccurate at ranges where a bow can be precise and deadly, but they are devastating when used at close quarters. Reluctantly you sheathe your weapon and raise your hands in surrender for to attempt an escape now is futile.

The gladiators surround you swiftly and drag you out of the room. You are manhandled roughly along the tunnel and brought before a distinguished-looking man who is clad in fine white linen and jewel-encrusted armour. He is Torvax, the owner of the dead warrior-slave Malduz. The news that his finest gladiator is dead sends him into a blind fury. Malduz was to fight at dusk in the final combat of the circus. Now Torvax stands to lose the winner�s purse of 1,000 Gold Crowns. In his rage he orders that you be executed at dusk before the entire arena. The situation is looking hopeless until, as you are being dragged away, you offer to fight for Torvax in Malduz�s place.

We roll: 3 + 2 (EP > 19) = 5.

Torvax commands the guardsmen to wait. Then he swaggers over to where you lie and he looks down at you with a thoughtful expression fixed upon his lordly face. His eyes glitter darkly.

�You lack weight � I like my fighters to have weight of muscle,� he sneers, �but you have strength of spirit. I have seen gladiators who could lift an ox with their bare hands defeated in the arena by puny men with fire in their souls. Perhaps you have fire in your soul, Northlander? Fire enough to win for me the victor�s purse?�

Torvax signals to the guardsmen and they pull you to your feet. �Very well, you fight for me at dusk. You will fight Dromodon the Invincible and you will win.�

�And if I lose?� you say, barely daring to ask the question.

�Then you die, Northlander. The final combat of the circus is always to the death!�

The guardsmen take you away to a dingy cell below the arena where you are kept until the time comes for you to meet your opponent. You are allowed to keep your Kai Weapon, but you are warned that the use of sorcery within the gladiatorial arena is strictly forbidden. Torvax despises magic and any breach of this rule will result in immediate execution.

Within the hour the guardsmen return: it is time for you to meet your adversary. As you are led from your cell and escorted along the tunnel, you can hear the crowd above roaring with excitement. Then, as you step into the fading sunlight, you hear gasps of astonishment from some quarters. They come from your fellow travellers who cannot believe that it is you, the friendly Northlander, who is to fight Dromodon the Invincible to the death. The guardsmen march you to the centre of the arena and leave you standing there alone under the watchful gaze of the expectant crowd. Minutes later, the crowd erupts when Dromodon emerges from the tunnel.

Dromodon strides into the arena with his arms flung wide to receive the frenzied adulation of the crowd. He is a magnificent lion of a man, with broad shoulders and a mighty chest that ripples with bronzed muscle. His grim face is stern and majestic beneath a mane of wild black hair, and he moves with the confidence and grace of a huge, predatory animal. At first he appears to be the very embodiment of gladiatorial perfection, and you regret that you should have to fight this heroic warrior to the death. But your regrets soon evaporate when you look into his eyes, for you see revealed there his true nature. Beneath the fa�ade of his heroic exterior lurks a soul filled with evil. Your senses tell you that he is a secret worshipper of Naar. The Dark God has given him many rewards�his strength and his status�and in return Dromodon has consigned hundreds of noble souls to an eternity of slavery in the thrall of Naar. Now you see him for what he really is�a ruthless murderer, a heartless killing machine�and all empathy with him as a fellow warrior is lost. This will be a fight to the death and you must fight to win!

Dromodon: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 39

This enemy is immune to all forms of psychic attack.

Braveheart (with alether): COMBAT SKILL 45 ENDURANCE 23 Dromodon: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 39 Combat Ratio: 1 We roll: 4 Braveheart (with alether): COMBAT SKILL 45 ENDURANCE 20 Dromodon: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 32 We roll: 4 Braveheart (with alether): COMBAT SKILL 45 ENDURANCE 17 Dromodon: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 25 We roll: 9 Braveheart (with alether): COMBAT SKILL 45 ENDURANCE 17 Dromodon: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 13 We roll: 8 Braveheart (with alether): COMBAT SKILL 45 ENDURANCE 17 Dromodon: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 2 We roll: 8 Braveheart (with alether): COMBAT SKILL 45 ENDURANCE 17 Dromodon: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 0

Voyage of the Moonstone posted:

The crowd roars with excitement the moment you strike your killing blow. Dromodon staggers back, blood trickling freely from his mouth, and he spits a curse with his dying breath before crashing to the sand. The crowd erupts with wild elation and the guardsmen are hard pressed to keep them from rushing headlong into the arena. Dromodon�s corpse is dragged unceremoniously away and, amidst the screams and cheers, you are ushered before Torvax. He praises you for your fighting skill and bravery and he offers you the post of principal of his gladiator school in Ferufezan. Politely you decline. It is customary for the winner of the final combat of the circus to be granted one request, and you ask that you may be allowed to go free. Torvax nods in agreement. He is grieved by the loss of his warrior-slave Malduz, but he does not hold you responsible for his death.

Before he instructs his men to escort you to the gates of the arena and let you go free, he hands you a silk pouch containing 20 Gold Crowns.

The moment you set foot into the streets outside the arena you are mobbed by a crowd of excited citizens. To avoid them you are forced to flee into a maze of alleys and eventually you lose them in the town�s east quarter. Night is fast approaching and you sense that it will be completely dark within the hour. As you walk along a cobbled street towards the town�s east gate, you glance into the front windows of shops and emporia that are still open for business here despite the lateness of the hour.

Shall we investigate the herbalist, the silversmith, or "Agemo's Emporium", or ignore all three and keep walking?

We have used our potion of alether but now have 30 Gold Crowns - thanks to our 2% share of the prize money we risked our life for.

I love how shocking it apparently is that a guy whose whole life is killing other people for entertainment might turn out to be evil. Or the way the player character, supposedly one of this world's best and most heroic, doesn't seem to have any problem with people fighting to the death as a form of entertainment.

# ? Sep 13, 2018 22:36

Leraika: Jun 14, 2015; Luckily, I *did* save your old avatar. Fucked around and found out indeed.

Good thing we had an excuse to murder that guy who was totally evil, yes sir!

Do we get multiple choices or just one?

# ? Sep 13, 2018 22:42

TooMuchAbstraction: Oct 14, 2012; I spent four years making
Waves of Steel
Hell yes I'm going to turn my avatar into an ad for it.; Fun Shoe

Go for the silversmith, on the theory that they may have some CS-boosting gear that'll be more valuable in the long run than getting some HP back from the herbalist.

# ? Sep 13, 2018 22:47

anakha: Sep 16, 2009

Herbalist. More Laumspur and/or Alether is a must at this point.

# ? Sep 13, 2018 23:22

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

Another presumably mandatory combat where low CS would have destroyed us. :argh:

Dever! Also, I don�t think Lone Wolf ever got into gladiator combat personally. Glad we got the chance.

The Emporium sounds interesting, though I�m ok with visiting all three stores if we can now that our purse is again clinking nicely.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 00:27

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

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

Go for the silversmith, on the theory that they may have some CS-boosting gear that'll be more valuable in the long run than getting some HP back from the herbalist.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 01:08

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

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

Go for the silversmith, on the theory that they may have some CS-boosting gear that'll be more valuable in the long run than getting some HP back from the herbalist.

if the option is there, the other two after.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 02:09

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

anakha posted:

Herbalist. More Laumspur and/or Alether is a must at this point.

That's what I was thinking too.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 03:08

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

Go for the silversmith, on the theory that they may have some CS-boosting gear that'll be more valuable in the long run than getting some HP back from the herbalist.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 07:09

The_White_Crane: May 10, 2008

"Agemo's Emporium" sounds like the most likely place to pick up some permanent stat buffs.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 09:38

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

nelson posted:

Herbalist.

That would have been my pick, without foreknowledge of what each place has available. I feel like laumspur and alether are more likely to be available than any useful weapons or armour, and the emporium could just as easily be full of worthless junk as anything even remotely useful.

Voyage of the Moonstone posted:

As you step into this dusty little shop you are hit by a cocktail of aromas that literally take your breath away. You cough to clear your throat of the sickly taste left by these pungent smells, and suddenly the owner of this shop appears in a doorway behind the back counter. He thinks that you are trying to attract his attention.

A quick scan of the shelves tells your experienced eye that there are no herbs of great value or interest here. Most of the potions on display are placebos and quack remedies. However, as you turn to leave, the herbalist produces a black box which he opens for your inspection. Inside are the following potions:

Potion of Laumspur: restores 4 ENDURANCE points when consumed after combat.

Potion of Gallowbrush: induces sleep for one to two hours.

Potion of Alether: increases COMBAT SKILL by 2. One use only.
All of the above potions cost 3 Gold Crowns. If you wish to purchase one or more of them, adjust your Action Chart accordingly.

At the end of the street you discover a tavern which adjoins the town�s east gatehouse. It has a stables and a small blacksmithy, and the first floor has been given over to a rooming hostel. It is a popular place and you see several people entering and leaving by its main door.

Beyond this door you discover a warm taproom with great padded chairs and tables of yellow Siyenese elm. You approach the tavern-keeper�s wife who is serving ale to customers in tankards made of hardened leather. You enquire if she has a room for the night and she nods and smiles. �Three Gold Crowns,� she says, �and for that you can have as much ale as you can stomach!�

You pay her 3 Gold Crowns (erase these from your Action Chart. ~~If you have fewer than 3 Gold Crowns, you give all of your remaining Crowns to the tavern-keeper�s wife~~) but you decline a tankard of her ale. It has a peculiar smell that makes you think of greasy animal hides.

You are climbing the stairs to your room on the first floor when an old man bumps into you on the landing. He is wearing thick spectacles and he is scrutinizing a strange box-like device made from cubes and tubes of iron, quartz, and brass. Part of this device snags your cloak and rips it. He apologizes profusely and offers to mend the tear in your cloak. As you look into his bespectacled eyes your Magnakai senses detect a faint aura of magic.

What potions do we buy? We can afford all three if we want them.
Shall we let this man mend our cloak or leave him and head into our room?

Had we gone to the silversmith we would have found a range of melee weapons ("inlaid with finest silver" and priced accordingly) available for sale, but no bows. The emporium has a few random items that may end up being useful or may just take up backpack space forever.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 10:13

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

Buy all potions, fix cloak.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 10:23

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

Maugrim posted:

Buy all potions, fix cloak.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 11:10

The_White_Crane: May 10, 2008

Maugrim posted:

Buy all potions, fix cloak.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 12:13

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

Maugrim posted:

Buy all potions, fix cloak.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 12:45

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

Buy Alether & Laumspur, Avoid strange magic.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 13:21

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

Maugrim posted:

Buy all potions, fix cloak.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 13:55

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

Maugrim posted:

Buy all potions, fix cloak.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 13:58

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

THE MANLIEST MUSTACHE

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

Maugrim posted:

Buy all potions, fix cloak.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 15:30

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

Maugrim posted:

Buy all potions, fix cloak.

This.

# ? Sep 14, 2018 20:49

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

Maugrim posted:

Buy all potions, fix cloak.

OK, we'll automatically use the laumspur (bringing our Endurance to 21) and keep the other two potions in our backpack. We have 19 Gold Crowns remaining.

Voyage of the Moonstone posted:

The old man places his hand over the torn cloth, mumbles a few words, and when he removes it you see that the fibres have knitted together and your cloak is now as good as new. At once your Magnakai senses tell you that he has used the Brotherhood Spell Mend to repair your garment.

�Just a little trick I learned in Toran,� he says jocularly. Then he raises his box-like contraption and sighs: �Alas, �it's a pity I can�t use the same trick to fix this convexor. I was never much good with machines.�

He looks at the box and then at you and a flicker of recognition passes across his wizened face. �You�re Sommlending, aren�t you?� he says, and then he moves a little closer and inspects your tunic and cloak. �By the bells of Teph! You�re a Kai! Well, well, bless my soul!� And with this the old man begins to reminisce about the part he played in the Darklands War, how the peoples of Northern Magnamund owe their lives to your illustrious leader�Lone Wolf�and how appreciative he is of the Kai�s tireless fight against the forces of Naar. It is clear by his enthusiasm that he is honoured to have made your acquaintance. When finally he finishes his gushing eulogy he offers to buy you an evening meal.

Shall we accept his offer or leave him and go to bed?

# ? Sep 15, 2018 02:11