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!

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

Voyage of the Moonstone posted:

Over a delicious supper of fish roe and steamed vegetables (restore 2 ENDURANCE points), you learn that the old man�s name is Yranai and that he is a native of Hikas. He was on his way home from Bisutan aboard his flying craft when it developed a mechanical problem, and he was forced to make an unscheduled landing in the hills just a few miles to the south of this town. He is staying overnight at the tavern while the blacksmith repairs the convexor, the device that accidentally snagged your cloak. When you tell Yranai that you are bound for Elzian, he offers to transport you there aboard Simoom�his flying craft. To travel the last leg of your journey to Elzian by air would save you many days, especially as you have yet to cross the Great Masourn Mountain Range. Gladly you accept Yranai�s offer, and you agree to meet him in the taproom at dawn so that he can take you to the place in the hills where his craft Simoom is grounded.

Endurance: 23/33.

You wake early and take time to clean your Weapons and equipment before going downstairs to the taproom at dawn to meet with Yranai. Together you leave the tavern and pass through the town�s east gate as a bell in a nearby tower clangs five times. For a mile you walk along the caravan route to Hikas until you come to a place where a fallen toa tree lies across a ditch beside the road. Yranai stops here and points to a gentle hill little more than half a mile distant. �I�m sure she�s behind that hummock,� he muses, and he sets off with you following patiently behind.

As you reach the top of the hill you see his flying craft resting in a gully below. It is a huge balloon which is attached by steel cables to a basket that lies on its side. A tangle of metal pipes and brass cylinders hangs suspended in a cradle under the balloon, and several parts of this strange engine are dented and scraped, indicating that Yranai must have had a bumpy landing. On reaching the balloon, you struggle to set the basket upright while Yranai fits the repaired convexor. Minutes later, he turns a valve and the engine splutters into life. After a few bangs and wheezes it settles into a chugging rhythm, and you both scramble to climb aboard as the balloon rises and hoists the basket off the ground.

Simoom ascends rapidly into the cloudless sky. Soon you can see the town of Bavari spread out below you like a detailed map, the southern Vassagonian coastline with its inlets and villages, and to the south the snowy peaks of the Great Masourn Mountains. Yranai tinkers with the engine and you feel the balloon beginning to drift southwards, towards a gap in the peaks of the great mountain range.

Yranai keeps an equal distance between the two mountains as his craft approaches the gap. But as it drifts nearer, you feel the air temperature beginning to fall rapidly as you get closer to the snowy peaks. Suddenly the basket is buffeted by rising air currents and you have to grip the handrail tightly with both hands to stay on your feet.

Your Magnakai tracking skills warn you that the balloon is in the grip of thermal air currents that are swirling between the peaks. These are being created by the coming together of dry air masses from the Bavari Hills and humid jungle air from the Dessian uplands. You warn Yranai but he seems unconcerned. �It may get a little rough,� he says, as he struggles to keep his spectacles from being shaken off his nose, �but Simoom is built to take it. She�ll see us through!�

As if in defiance of his words, the basket lurches violently as the balloon is hit by a strong crosswind. Yranai is unable to reach the engine valves to compensate for this sudden change of direction and, to your mounting horror, you see the basket drifting towards a jagged outcrop of rock.

You brace yourself against the inside of the basket as the outcrop looms nearer. Moments later, there is the sound of ripping cloth and you are jolted off your feet. Yranai falls on top of you and you lie entangled at the bottom of the basket as the balloon is suddenly whisked away from the outcrop by a second crosswind.

You disentangle yourself from the old man and struggle to your feet. You can feel the balloon is rapidly losing altitude and, when you peer over the rim of the basket, you see the trees of the lower mountain slopes rising towards you at a dizzying speed. Yranai pulls himself up beside you, but when he sees shreds of cloth trailing from the punctured canopy above, he faints and collapses. Hurriedly you haul his frail body over your shoulder. Then you place one foot on the rim of the basket and get ready to make a desperate leap away from this doomed balloon as the top of the mountain pines come clearly into view.

With the old magician draped over your shoulder, you leap from the basket and plummet towards the ground. As you fall, you utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell Levitation and instantly the spell enables you to control the speed of your descent towards the trees below. You see the balloon smash into the timberland and, as you descend through the upper branches of this pine forest, you brace yourself in readiness for the moment when your feet touch the ground.

Unfortunately, when you cast Levitation in mid-air, you did not anticipate that the increased weight of Yranai would have any effect on your control of this spell. It is not until you are within twenty feet of the ground that you realize you are coming down too fast. You attempt to compensate but it is too late and you strike the rocky soil with a tremendous jolt that knocks you unconscious.

Consciousness returns through a kaleidoscopic swirl of colour and pain (lose 4 ENDURANCE points). Bruised and aching, you pull yourself into a sitting position and see the wreckage of the balloon hanging among the trees and scattered across the rocks nearby. A few feet away lies Yranai; he is still unconscious and you see at once that his left leg is badly broken. Gingerly you pull yourself over to his side and you are about to examine his injured leg when you hear voices calling you from among the trees. Three Vakeros natives appear from out of the pines and come hurrying over the rocks towards you. You examine the old magician and discover that he has stopped breathing: he is near to death. It is only through the use of your Kai curing skills that you are able to make him breathe again and bring him back from the edge of the abyss. You set his fractured leg but, despite your best efforts, you cannot return him to consciousness.

The three Vakeros tell you that they know Yranai and they offer to take care of him. They construct a makeshift stretcher from their coats and carry him to their settlement which is less than a mile distant. You stay here this night and use your healing skills to save the old man�s leg before you eventually settle down to a few hours� sleep. At dawn you awake to find him still unconscious. You are anxious to continue your journey, and yet you feel compelled to help Yranai regain his health. You talk with the Vakeros and tell them that you must leave and they assure you that Yranai is safe with them. They promise to take good care of him. They also offer to give you one of their sturdy mountain horses, an old mare called Jhani, to help speed your journey southwards. Gratefully you accept their generous offer and then you bid them farewell before you leave their settlement by way of a mountain track.

It is around noon of the following day when the track finally emerges from the foothills of the Great Masourn Mountains and joins the coast road some thirty miles from Hikas. In the distance you see a village and you ride towards it. At first the villagers seem as friendly and as peaceable as the mountain dwellers who gave you your horse, but the moment they see you approaching they immediately freeze in their tracks. Some drop the items they are carrying and others begin to tremble with fear.

Endurance: 19/33.

Shall we stop and try to talk to them or leave them alone and ride on?

# ? Sep 15, 2018 12:05

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# ? Jun 5, 2024 12:35

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

Tiggum posted:

Shall we stop and try to talk to them or leave them alone and ride on?

Let's see if we can find out what their problem is.

# ? Sep 15, 2018 12:25

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

This is why no one likes wizards.

Yo, my dudes, what's up?

# ? Sep 15, 2018 12:38

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

Oh, I almost forgot! We missed out on the second opportunity to use the Iron Skull. Had we not gone with Yranai we'd have had to buy a horse (for 10 Gold Crowns!) and on the road we'd have come across a Vakeros elder who would have detected the Iron Skull and declared it to be evil. At that point we'd have been given the choice of whether to hand it over or not. If you do, you get 3 Endurance points restored and a free Meal. If you refuse, the elder psychically attacks you and you take 3 or 6 damage depending on whether or not you have Kai-screen. If you don't have the Iron Skull then you lose 2 EP. If you also don't have Temujin's Ring you then have to give up a weapon or two Backpack/Special items. Either way you then get the +3EP and Meal as if you'd handed over the Iron Skull. So if you take that path the having the skull gets you the best outcome, but it's not especially bad to not have it.

# ? Sep 15, 2018 12:53

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

Still better to go with the balloon man though.

Keep riding on. We�ve had enough side adventures this book and I�m feeling contrarian.

# ? Sep 15, 2018 17:25

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

Runcible Cat posted:

Let's see if we can find out what their problem is.

This

# ? Sep 15, 2018 17:53

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

If they don't like us that's none of our business. Ride on.

# ? Sep 15, 2018 18:51

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

Runcible Cat posted:

Let's see if we can find out what their problem is.

Voyage of the Moonstone posted:

You call out a friendly greeting to the nearest villager and you see his face blanch. He throws up his hands in alarm and runs headlong into the nearest undergrowth. This begins a chain-reaction among the other villagers who shriek with panic and flee in all directions. Within a matter of minutes this village has been transformed into a ghost town.

Bemused and a little unnerved by their inexplicable reaction, you pass through this cluster of empty bamboo huts and continue on along the road towards Hikas.

You approach the gates of Hikas just as the last rays of sunlight are dipping below the western horizon. Bathed in the sun�s afterglow this ancient city-port looks warmly inviting, and you cast your eye appraisingly across the stone geometry of its protective wall, its conical towers, and its pyramidal dwellings. Every surface is embellished with runic symbols, yet few remain legible, for thousands of years have elapsed since they were carved.

The Vakeros at the east gate recognize your Kai tunic and offer you a guarded welcome. They warn you that a curfew is in force and tell you to be off the streets by dark. You pass through the gate and follow a long shadowy street that descends towards the wharves and taverns that line the banks of the Carcos River�a murky, silt-rich channel which divides the city in two. Mindful of the imminent curfew, you tether your horse to a rail and enter the nearest tavern in search of a room for the night. Inside the air is hot and stale. A small number of men and women of mixed nationality stand at the counter and sit at small tables. Their low-voiced conversations break off as you let the tavern door shut behind you with a bang.

Shall we sit at a table or approach the bar?

# ? Sep 16, 2018 00:40

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

Approach the bar. The bartender probably knows what's going on and it's their job to be nice to us.

# ? Sep 16, 2018 00:51

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

A Kai Lord walked into a bar. She was followed by three thugs. She hid to avoid confrontation, and everyone else in the bar was killed.

# ? Sep 16, 2018 01:08

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

Let's take a seat at a table and quietly observe the other patrons and our surroundings before trying to start another conversation.

# ? Sep 16, 2018 03:22

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

achtungnight posted:

Approach the bar. The bartender probably knows what's going on and it's their job to be nice to us.

And if it's not let's find out ASAP.

# ? Sep 16, 2018 10:33

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

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

A Kai Lord walked into a bar. She was followed by three thugs. She hid to avoid confrontation, and everyone else in the bar was killed.

Voyage of the Moonstone posted:

The men standing at the counter move away at your approach, and one of them, a bilious rogue with close-set eyes and a cleft chin, casts you a murderous glance. You ignore him and ask the innkeeper for a room and stabling for the night. He says the tavern is full and he suggests that you look elsewhere. Chalked on a board above the counter is the message �Rooms�2 Gold Crowns nightly�, and hanging on a line of brass hooks behind the innkeeper�s back are seven room keys. The man is lying: every boarding room in this tavern is unoccupied.

Do we accuse him of lying or put 2 Gold Crowns on the bar?

No, we can't avoid a confrontation by just leaving quietly, don't be absurd.

# ? Sep 16, 2018 11:32

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

Give him two coins.

# ? Sep 16, 2018 11:38

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

Mikl posted:

Give him two coins.

# ? Sep 16, 2018 12:33

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

You liar! I challenge everyone in this tavern to a brawl!

# ? Sep 16, 2018 13:01

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

Mikl posted:

Give him two coins.

# ? Sep 16, 2018 15:04

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

Our gold is as good as anyone else's.

# ? Sep 16, 2018 15:47

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

Maugrim posted:

Our gold is as good as anyone else's.

Exactly.

# ? Sep 16, 2018 18:58

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

achtungnight posted:

You liar! I challenge everyone in this tavern to a brawl!

# ? Sep 16, 2018 22:43

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

Guy Fawkes posted:

gold.

Voyage of the Moonstone posted:

The innkeeper growls and knocks the two coins off the bar with the edge of his hand. �I don�t want y�money!� he roars. �I want you out of here, now! Do I make myself clear?�

Then the rogue and his shadowy companions sidle their way back to the counter and move in to surround you.

�You heard him,� says one of the men. �There ain�t no rooms here.�

�Yeah! That�s right,� sneers the rogue. �So why don�t you be gettin� on your way, friend.� And with this, he whips a dagger from his belt and stabs it into the counter. He glances at his companions and instantly they reach for the hilts of their swords.

Shall we now leave or argue?

# ? Sep 17, 2018 01:09

moosecow333: Mar 15, 2007; Super-Duper Supermen!

I am Braveheart, the most proficient and trusted of all Lone Wolf�s pupils.

Why yes I think it�s a good idea to argue when I have clearly been told to leave and am surrounded by armed men.

# ? Sep 17, 2018 01:57

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

I'm sure these guys won't prove to be more powerful combatants than a literal god. Argue!

# ? Sep 17, 2018 02:32

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

I'm sure these guys won't prove to be more powerful combatants than a ~~literal god~~ young woman. Argue!

# ? Sep 17, 2018 03:30

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

Geez, did Lone Wolf do something bad here a while back or what? Leave. Even if we can win this ain�t worth a fight.

# ? Sep 17, 2018 05:21

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

Leave-o. Arguing won't get us anything but a fight.

# ? Sep 17, 2018 07:44

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

Look, we don't want no trouble, so let us just walk away if you don't mind.

# ? Sep 17, 2018 07:55

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

moosecow333 posted:

I am Braveheart, the most proficient and trusted of all Lone Wolf�s pupils.

Why yes I think it�s a good idea to argue when I have clearly been told to leave and am surrounded by armed men.

Time to go full oblivious white girl!

�Excuse ME. Don�t you know who I AM?�

# ? Sep 17, 2018 08:04

Xarn: Jun 26, 2015

Runcible Cat posted:

Time to go full oblivious white girl!

�Excuse ME. Don�t you know who I AM?�

Argue

# ? Sep 17, 2018 08:26

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

moosecow333 posted:

I am Braveheart, the most proficient and trusted of all Lone Wolf�s pupils.

Why yes I think it�s a good idea to argue when I have clearly been told to leave and am surrounded by armed men.

After all, they won't kill themselves.

# ? Sep 17, 2018 09:21

Toplowtech: Aug 31, 2004

That guy called you friend, and most of lone wolf's friends died, so Braveheart better start arguing and see if she can help this rogue deathwish.

# ? Sep 17, 2018 10:08

The_White_Crane: May 10, 2008

Braveheart posted:

You think back to the many lessons your master Lone Wolf imparted to you on the dignity of the Kai and the Path of Correct Action.
"Remember, Braveheart, you are a member of the Kai Order. Your powers are granted by Kai himself, and you are acknowledged and ordained by me, Lone Wolf, the greatest hero Magnamund has ever known." He took a long draught of Laumspur and belched. "This means you're better than other people. Remember our credo: 'Kai-way or the high-way.' and always demand the respect I'm -- that is you -- are due."

So, argue and then shank them.

# ? Sep 17, 2018 10:15

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

Maugrim posted:

Leave-o. Arguing won't get us anything but a fight.

Getting into random fights might seem like fun, but we do have a mission to complete.

Voyage of the Moonstone posted:

�So much for hospitality,� you quip sarcastically as you walk to the door. A tense silence fills the tavern, and the innkeeper and the crowd watch you go with hatred and fear burning in their eyes. You are only too glad to leave, but when you step outside into the darkening street you discover to your dismay that your horse Jhani has disappeared. Two men appear in the doorway behind you with swords in their hands. You decide it would be futile to ask them if they have seen your horse and so you walk off along the street in search of somewhere a little more friendly to stay this night.

The incident at the tavern and the loss of your horse leave you feeling angry and confused. For more than an hour you walk the dark, deserted streets of Hikas as you struggle to make sense of what has happened. You are passing a junction where the cobblestoned street joins with a larger avenue, when suddenly you hear the approaching tramp of booted feet. A stern but anxious voice calls out, commanding you to halt, and when you peer into the darkness you see a dozen Vakeros militiamen. They are armed with spears and throwing nets, and they are standing in a line abreast to seal off the avenue.

Do we obey or run away?

Braveheart's truly devastating parting quip followed by wandering the streets in utter shock and despair at being treated with suspicion and hostility by strangers in a bar paints a picture of a hilariously sheltered individual. It makes sense that a child of nobility trained from a young age to become a heroic defender of all that is right and good would expect to be welcomed and celebrated, but I'm not sure if Dever actually intended it to be funny.

# ? Sep 17, 2018 11:13

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

These guys are the law, or what passes for it around here anyway. There's a curfew in effect. We've been warned about it. We're willfully breaking it. We should obey rather than cause an(other) incident.

(Goddamnit Braveheart you're the worst kai.)

# ? Sep 17, 2018 11:24

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

I'm sure if we obey these kind folks they will see us to a proper billet.

# ? Sep 17, 2018 11:45

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

Run away!

# ? Sep 17, 2018 13:18

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

I�m sure the nice policemen will help us. Obey!

# ? Sep 17, 2018 13:55

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

Runcible Cat posted:

I�m sure the nice policemen will help us. Obey!

# ? Sep 17, 2018 16:10

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

Run away! I doubt they care why we're breaking the curfew. Now that we're an outlaw we should start acting like it.

# ? Sep 17, 2018 17:19

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# ? Jun 5, 2024 12:35

moosecow333: Mar 15, 2007; Super-Duper Supermen!

What is this, the third horse we�ve lost? Get it together Braveheart.

Let�s obey and tell the guards all about that mean old tavern keeper.

# ? Sep 17, 2018 21:11

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