The Plague Lords of Ruel (4 page)

There will be occasions during your adventure when you have to fight an enemy. The enemy's
COMBAT SKILL
and
ENDURANCE
points are given in the text. Lone Wolf's aim in the combat is to kill the enemy by reducing his
ENDURANCE
points to zero while losing as few
ENDURANCE
points as possible himself.

At the start of a combat, enter Lone Wolf's and the enemy's
ENDURANCE
points in the appropriate boxes on the Combat Record section of your
Action Chart
. The sequence for combat is as follows:

1. Add any extra points gained through your Grand Master Disciplines and Special Items to your current
   COMBAT SKILL
   total.
   
2. Subtract the
   COMBAT SKILL
   of your enemy from this total. The result is your Combat Ratio. Enter it on the
   Action Chart
   .
   Example
   Lone Wolf (
   COMBAT SKILL
   27) is attacked by a pack of Doomwolves (
   COMBAT SKILL
   30). He is taken by surprise and is not given the opportunity of evading their attack. Lone Wolf has the Grand Master Discipline of Kai-surge to which the Doomwolves are not immune, so Lone Wolf adds 8 points to his
   COMBAT SKILL
   , giving him a total
   COMBAT SKILL
   of 35.
   He subtracts the Doomwolf pack's
   COMBAT SKILL
   from his own, giving a Combat Ratio of +5. (35-30 = +5). +5 is noted on the
   Action Chart
   as the Combat Ratio.
   
3. When you have your Combat Ratio
   , pick a number from the
   Random Number Table
   .
   
4. Turn to the
   Combat Results Table
   . Along the top of the chart are shown the Combat Ratio numbers. Find the number that is the same as your Combat Ratio and cross-reference it with the random number that you have picked (the random numbers appear on the side of the chart). You now have the number of
   ENDURANCE
   points lost by both Lone Wolf and his enemy in this round of combat. (E represents points lost by the enemy; LW represents points lost by Lone Wolf.)
   Example
   The Combat Ratio between Lone Wolf and the Doomwolf Pack has been established as +5. If the number picked from the
   Random Number Table
   is a 2, then the result of the first round of combat is:
   
   • Lone Wolf loses 3
     ENDURANCE
     points (plus an additional 1 point for using Kai-surge).
     
   • Doomwolf Pack loses 7
     ENDURANCE
     points.
     
5. On the
   Action Chart
   , mark the changes in
   ENDURANCE
   points to the participants in the combat.
   
6. Unless otherwise instructed, or unless you have an option to evade, the next round of combat now starts.
   
7. Repeat the sequence from
   Stage 3
   .
   

This process of combat continues until
ENDURANCE
points of either the enemy or Lone Wolf are reduced to zero or below, at which point that combatant is declared dead. If Lone Wolf is dead, the adventure is over. If the enemy is dead, Lone Wolf proceeds but with his
ENDURANCE
points possibly reduced.

A
summary of Combat Rules
appears in the back of this book.

During your adventure you may be given the chance to evade combat. If you have already engaged in a round of combat and decide to evade, calculate the combat for that round in the usual manner. All points lost by the enemy as a result of that round are ignored, and you make your escape. Only Lone Wolf may lose
ENDURANCE
points during that round (but then that is the risk of running away!). You may evade only if the text of the particular section allows you to do so.

The following table is a guide to the ranks and titles you can achieve at each stage of your journey along the road of Kai Grand Mastership. As you successfully complete each adventure in the
Lone Wolf Grand Master
series, you will gain an additional Grand Master Discipline and progress towards the pinnacle of Kai perfection — to become a Kai Supreme Master.

1. Kai Grand Master Senior
   
2. Kai Grand Master Superior
   
3. Kai Grand Sentinel
   
4. Kai Grand Defender —
   You begin the
   Lone Wolf Grand Master
   adventures at this level of Mastery
   
5. Kai Grand Guardian
   
6. Sun Knight
   
7. Sun Lord
   
8. Sun Thane
   
9. Grand Thane
   
10. Grand Crown
    
11. Sun Prince
    
12. Kai Supreme Master
    

As you rise through the higher levels of Kai Grand Mastery, you will find that your Disciplines will steadily improve. For example, if you possess the Discipline of Grand Nexus when you reach the Grand Master rank of Grand Thane, you will be able to pass freely through Shadow Gates and explore the nether realms of Aon and the Daziarn Plane.

The nature of these additional improvements and how they affect your Grand Master Disciplines will be noted in the Improved Grand Master Disciplines section of future
Lone Wolf
books.

Your mission to enter the Cenerese stronghold of Mogaruith and destroy the deadly plague virus will be fraught with deadly danger. Be wary and on your guard at all times, for the inhabitants of Ruel are sworn enemies of the Gods Kai and Ishir.

Some of the things that you will find during your mission will be of use to you in this and future
Lone Wolf
books, while others may be red herrings of no real value at all, so try to be selective in what you decide to keep.

Choose your four Grand Master Disciplines with care, for a wise choice will enable any player to complete the quest, no matter how weak their initial
COMBAT SKILL
and
ENDURANCE
scores may be. Successful completion of previous
Lone Wolf
adventures, although an advantage, is not essential for the completion of this first Grand Master adventure.

The prevention of the spread of a deadly Cenerese plague virus, and the subsequent deaths of untold millions, depends on the success of your mission. May the light of Kai and Ishir be your guide as you venture into the darkness of Ruel.

For Sommerlund and the Kai!

‘Grand Master … the quest must begin without delay for time is not our ally,’ says Lord Rimoah, as he paces nervously back and forth across the flagstoned floor of your monastery chamber. You voice your agreement and call upon your wise friend to counsel you as best he can about the mission you have undertaken. Not entirely to your surprise, you learn that he has already made preparation, confident in the knowledge that you would agree to this dangerous quest. He has arranged for you to travel to the Freeland of Palmyrion where a guide is waiting to escort you to Ruel. The guide can guarantee safe passage to the borders of the dark realm, but no further.

Rimoah tells you that little is known of Ruel, save that the unnatural forest which surrounds and protects the Cenerese stronghold of Mogaruith harbours creatures that are the stuff of nightmares. Some almost defy description. The poor wretches who survived the last ill-conceived, ill-fated invasion of Ruel, spoke of their encounters with gigantic, acid-spitting worms that rose up out of the ground without warning and devoured whole regiments of their comrades at a single stroke. They told also of the battles that were waged against ferocious packs of disease-ridden rat-creatures they called ‘Vazhag’. The Cenerese breed these sentient vermin in warrens deep below Mogaruith, and then release them into the forest to patrol and gather food for even viler abominations that rarely venture beyond the walls of their stronghold.

‘Truly I wish that I were able to tell you more, Lone Wolf, but so little is known of Ruel. It is a dark and sinister place. Yet, there is something else, something that I can give you which will aid your quest,’ says Rimoah, and he holds out his hand. In his palm is the phial of green liquid, the vaccine that will, at least, protect you from the plague which threatens to destroy so much of your beloved world. You take it, uncork it, and then quickly swallow the bitter contents. Unexpectedly your stomach rebels and a wave of nausea rises up which makes you slap a hand over your mouth. A few moments later the nausea fades and you are able to remove your hand and speak.

‘How long will it protect me?’ you ask, queasily.

Rimoah smiles. ‘Oh, I'm sure you will be safe for some considerable time, Lone Wolf. I'm afraid I forgot to mention that the phial contained a concentrated vaccine, more than sufficient to protect a hundred men!’

Within the space of a few short hours you are ready to begin your long journey south to Palmyrion. Having entrusted the monastery to the care of your Kai Masters, you and Lord Rimoah leave by means of a secret tunnel, one of several that you have had constructed to enable you to enter and leave the monastery unobserved. You emerge in a clearing at the heart of the Fryelund Forest, at a place where Guildmaster Banedon is waiting patiently to welcome you aboard
Skyrider
, his flying ship. Here you take time to bid farewell to Lord Rimoah, who will await your return at the monastery, before climbing aboard and placing yourself in the charge of your old friend Banedon.

Turn to 260
.

You wrench yourself free from the creature's grip and stagger towards the antechamber, but Cadak is not prepared to allow you to escape from his creation so easily. From the tip of his staff there erupts a stream of thorny vines that wrap themselves around you and bury their barbs deep into your flesh: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point. You struggle desperately to break your cruel bonds as Exterminus closes in for the kill.

If you possess Grand Pathsmanship,
turn to 97
.

If you do not possess mastery of this Discipline,
turn to 245
.

The knife's tip draws a crimson line across your left shoulder before it hits the wall and rebounds with a metallic
clang
: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.

The Vazhag, its confidence boosted by the wounds it has caused you, draws another knife and comes waddling across the chamber, screeching maniacally. Raising your weapon you turn to face your foe as it launches its desperate attack.

Fat Vazhag:
COMBAT SKILL
 18   
ENDURANCE
 28

If you win this combat,
turn to 121
.

With a thin, gurgling scream, the Cener clutches at his fatal wounds and slides slowly down the cavern wall. As he crumples on the floor, he raises his hand and, in a last defiant gesture, he lunges out to scratch at your leg. You step back and avoid the sharp, cat-like claws which have suddenly sprouted from the tips of his gloved fingers, and these poisoned barbs eject their venom harmlessly upon the dusty floor.

Once you are sure that the druid is no longer alive, curiosity prompts you to prise away his green mask and look upon the face of this servant of evil. It is an ugly, disease-pocked face, human in shape yet lacking any trace of humanity.

Before leaving the cavern you decide to search him and his Vazhag escorts, and you discover the following items:

• Dagger
  
• Cener Robe (If kept, this item will occupy 2 spaces in your Backpack)
  
• Cener Mask
  
• 16 Lune (equivalent to 4 Gold Crowns)
  
• Sword
  

If you decide to keep any of the above, remember to adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.

To continue,
turn to 178
.

The warrior clasps his wounds and exhales his last breath as he tumbles lifelessly to the floor. Standing over his still body you use the tip of your weapon to prise open the visor of his iron helmet. You reveal the brutal features of a Drakkar, one who had survived the downfall of the Darklords and had counted himself fortunate to have found refuge here in Mogaruith. Sadly for him he had not reckoned on ever crossing your path.

You conceal the bodies of the Drakkar and his hound as best you can before pulling the portal closed and continuing your exploration of Mogaruith.

Turn to 205
.

A sudden rush of pain and nausea makes you drop to your knees (lose 3
ENDURANCE
points), leaving you shivering fitfully. Your psychic Magnakai Disciplines were insufficient to protect you against the physical effects of the powerful mind probe which you have just experienced, but they were at least able to shield your true identity.

The light, reflected from the Cener Mask you are wearing, activates a sensor and as you rise to your feet you see the great metal door begin to slide open.

Turn to 150
.

You focus your power upon the scuttling horde and try to bring them under your control. They do not respond to your commands and, at once, you sense that they are under a spell that has robbed them of all free will. You draw on your inner strength and attempt to break this spell, and the creatures cease their frenzied movement with an abruptness you find unnerving; it is as if they have suddenly turned to stone. Now that you can see them clearly they remind you of beetles, save that they are far larger and have long, rat-like tails. You observe them for a few moments longer, and then take a tentative step forwards. Instantly they burst into life, only this time they do not confine themselves to the forest floor.

With a sound like a thousand squeaky door hinges, they sprout wings and soar into the air in a formation which resembles a small black cloud. Soon they have left the clearing, and as you watch the last of them disappear over the tops of the trees, you can only hope that they are not some form of lookout employed by the Cenerese.

On the far side of the clearing you discover that the trail continues deeper into the forest. You follow it for nearly an hour until your keen senses warn of danger ahead and immediately you halt in your tracks. You hear a movement: it is above and behind you. With incredible speed you spin on your heel and raise your weapon to parry a possible attack. Your reactions are fast, but they may not be quick enough to protect you from what lurks in the canopy of branches high above.

From out of the darkness there falls a wriggling mass of thorny creepers that come snaking towards your head as if driven by a single mind.

If you possess Grand Pathsmanship,
turn to 257
.

If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 140
.