Wolf's Bane (5 page)

The nature of any 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.

You are about to face an adversary who possesses skills and abilities commensurate with your own. Even though you have returned to Sommerlund, the land of your birth, you should remain wary and on guard at all times. Your enemy is cunning and ruthless; you can expect no quarter from him whatsoever.

Some of the things you will encounter during your adventure 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. If you discover items, be selective in what you choose to keep.

Pick your 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 Grand Master adventure.

May the light of Kai and Ishir be your guide as you strive to defeat the agents of Naar.

For Sommerlund and the Kai!

The jangle of keys and the metallic squeal of a rusty iron bolt makes your pulse quicken. Moments later, the heavy dungeon door creaks open and two imperious figures step with caution into the dingy cell. They are protected by a dome of radiant magical energy, yet you can see enough of their features through this shimmering force field to recognize them to be Baron Caldar and Guildmaster Banedon.

‘Well met, old friend!’ you call out, but Banedon does not return your greeting. His countenance is one of fearful suspicion. Clearly he and the Baron suspect you are the evil impostor who has wrought havoc across Sommerlund.

‘Come now, Banedon. Truly, it is I — Lone Wolf. Won't you release me from these shackles?’

Banedon takes hold of a crystal pendant that hangs from a chain around his neck and a wave of strong psychic energy washes over you. The sensation is deeply unpleasant, but you resist the urge to use your psychic Kai defences to repel it. Instead, you allow this mental probe to access the recesses of your mind and gradually Banedon's grim expression is replaced by a smile. He nods approvingly and, in an instant, the magical barrier which protects the two men blinks out of existence.

If you possess a Platinum Amulet,
turn to 195
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 302
.

You hit the stinking water and dive beneath the surface. But moments later you are struck forcefully in the side by the tip of the creature's tail, lifted into the air, and dashed against the rough earth wall of the cavern: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

Coughing and gasping for breath, you find your feet and claw the muck from your eyes just in time to see the serpent's tail swishing back towards your chest. Instinctively you throw yourself against the wall and the deadly barbed tail misses you by inches. As it sweeps past, you draw your weapon in readiness to strike out at it the moment it comes within range.

Ukara (chained):
COMBAT SKILL
 44   
ENDURANCE
 45

This serpent is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge.

If you win the combat,
turn to 348
.

You draw your divine blade from its scabbard and a halo of golden light irradiates the throne hall. Naar bellows with a terrible rage. He is mortally aghast that such a holy weapon should be unsheathed in his inner sanctum, and in his rage he summons yet a further horde of Crypt Spawn to attack and overwhelm you.
⁴

Crypt Spawn Horde:
COMBAT SKILL
 55   
ENDURANCE
 40

If you win this combat,
turn to 350
.

Using your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, you concentrate upon a small area of the plant wall and will the fibres to loosen and tear. The wall is remarkably resilient, and you expend a great deal of energy before the tough fibres weaken and bend to your will: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

Eventually you are able to create a large enough hole in the stem through which you can make your escape.

To continue,
turn to 230
.

Your killing blow decapitates the head of this mechanical beast, sending it bouncing across the chamber. Fountains of fiery sparks shoot from its severed neck and its torso cracks and crumples in on itself. Within seconds, the body is transformed into a glowing mound of steel slag.

Warily you approach the creature's head and prod it with the tip of your weapon. When you are sure that it is safe, you examine it more closely and discover a curious disc of iron wedged in a crease in the back of its skull. Guided by instinct, you take this disc and insert it into the wall. Moments later, the door opens with a hiss of escaping air.

If you wish to retrieve the Iron Disc before you pass through the door, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you carry in the pocket of your tunic.

To continue,
turn to 83
.

You throw yourself to the ground and the beam of blazing white light passes within inches of your head, close enough to scorch the hood of your cloak. The moment you hit the warehouse floor you roll over and over and scramble for the nearest cover — a heavy iron chest, banded and riveted with steel. The warrior follows your swift movement and looses a second beam from his spear which slams into the iron chest with stunning force. You gasp with horror as you see the side of the chest bulging towards your face. Its thick rivets tremble and its age-blackened skin smoulders with a sullen heat. Instinct takes over, making you roll away from the iron chest and seek cover elsewhere. As you move, the beam of light tears through the rear of the iron box and destroys the ground where, only moments before, your face had been.

You call upon all of your camouflage skills to mask your body as you hurriedly seek a way to escape from this warrior and his sorcerous weapon. You reach the base of a large steel tank and scramble up a ladder fixed to its side. The top of the tank is stacked high with coiled ropes and you force yourself in amongst them. A few moments later you watch the warrior approach the smouldering remains of the iron chest. He is close enough now for you to see that his weapon is attached by a length of steel cable to a canister strapped to his back.

If you possess a Bow and the Discipline of Magi-magic and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Lord,
turn to 209
.

If you do not possess a Bow or this skill, or if you have yet to attain the rank of Sun Lord,
turn to 156
.

Guided by a circle of blazing beacons, Javano the pilot lands the skyship expertly in the middle of a paved training park located within the castle's expansive grounds. In Tyso a curfew is in force, and the only figures lawfully abroad this night are Baron Medar's guardsmen whose numbers have been doubled by a regiment of Border Rangers recently arrived from Holmgard. Banedon suggests that you stay on board until he has informed Baron Medar of the true situation.

‘The guards of Tyso are under orders to kill you on sight,’ he says, as he gets ready to disembark. ‘It would not be wise to show yourself, Grand Master, until I have explained all to the Baron.’

You remain in his quarters while Banedon seeks an audience with Baron Medar. Shortly he returns with the Baron who, upon entering the cabin, greets you warmly like a father welcoming home a favourite son.

‘You will always be welcome here, Lone Wolf,’ he says clasping your hand in friendship. ‘I knew in my heart that you were innocent of these crimes which have so shocked our people. You may rely on me to help you find this impostor who has sought to harm us and bring dishonour upon your good name.’

You thank the Baron for his support and his pledge of loyalty, and you tell him how pleased you are to be in Tyso after the months you have spent abroad.

‘Then come, my lord, let's adjourn to my hall where you may enjoy the hospitality of my court,’ he says, and turns to leave the cabin. As he reaches the door he says: ‘Oh, and by the way, there are some men waiting there who, I'm sure, will be most pleased to meet with you.’

Turn to 238
.

The arrow hits your forehead, yet fortunately at an angle. It carves a gash across the top of your head and removes a deep furrow of skin and hair as it glances off your skull bone: lose 6
ENDURANCE
points.

Biting back the pain, you clasp both hands to your scalp and muster your healing skills to staunch the heavy flow of blood. As you stagger to your feet, you look to the jungle and pinpoint the place where the arrow emerged. When you magnify your vision you see the face of your enemy, Wolf's Bane, partially hidden by a tree. He is laughing, his teeth showing white against the deep green of the jungle. He mouths a curse and then he springs to his feet and disappears into the undergrowth.

Determined that you are not going to allow him to escape so easily, you break into a run and give chase.

Turn to 90
.

Your killing blow punctures the beast's single lung and heart, sending it swiftly to the bottom of the flooded cellar. You sheathe your weapon and strike out for the surface where, upon clambering onto the steps, you pause for a few moments to regain your composure. As you recover, you note that one of your Backpack Items is missing, lost during your underwater combat with the Ekmakon. (Erase from your
Action Chart
the item which you have recorded at the top of your list of Backpack Items.)

Eager to continue your pursuit, you climb the steps and emerge through a trapdoor into the rubble-heaped city ruins. There is no sign of Wolf's Bane, but when you hurry to where you saw him last, you discover a flight of steps leading down into a wide underground passage. His tracks can be seen clearly embedded in the muddy floor of this tunnel.

The tunnel passes under a street and then surfaces in front of a grand two-storey building, once a busy warehouse that stored braided coils of fine copper cable. You avoid the main entrance in case your adversary is lying in ambush there, and enter instead by way of a flight of iron steps that lead to a second floor window. The moment you set foot inside the building you sense that Wolf's Bane is here. Warily you explore, your nerves stretched to breaking point as your eyes seek out detail in the darkness. You are approaching the west wing of this building when you suddenly catch sight of your opponent through a hole in the floor. He is sitting on his haunches behind a mound of wooden crates, busily eating a green-skinned fruit, and he is unaware that you are watching him.

If you possess Magi-magic and have attained the rank of Grand Thane (and wish to use your skill),
turn to 81
.

If you possess a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 106
.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 319
.

If you possess none of these skills, have yet to reach the required level of Kai rank, or simply choose not to use them,
turn instead to 20
.

The door opens with a hiss.
⁵
You rush forward and immediately sidestep to place a solid wall between you and the steel monster. Then the door slides shut and, a few moments later, you feel a shudder run through the wall as the creature slams head-first into the portal and shatters its skull.

To continue,
turn to 83
.

One of the arrows grazes your left shoulder and gouges a furrow of skin from the back of your left thigh. You stifle a cry, but the intense pain that grips your injured limbs warns you at once that the tip of the arrow was tainted with poison.

Your innate healing skills counter the poison before it can do its deadly work, but your body's defences draw heavily on your reserves of strength and the curing process leaves you feeling weak and light-headed: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 309
.

Luckily, the acid-spitter was the only one of its kind to be found lurking in this hall, and you are able to reach the door without being spat upon by one of its many brothers. The door itself is unlocked and, without further delay, you pull it open and hurry through into the hall which lies beyond.

You are hungry and, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 220
.

You hit the ground with a numbing jolt and almost lose consciousness. As you lie there, dazed and gasping for breath, you hear the anxious voices of your companions swirling around in your mind. You cannot move but you are able to draw on your Magnakai Curing skills to staunch your bleeding wounds. Gradually you feel your strength returning. The young Kai gather around and lift you carefully to your feet. As your vision clears, you see that the doorway to the tomb is now devoid of rubble. You sense that the destructive force of the power-glyph has been discharged, but only temporarily. It is recharging, and you have but a few seconds in which to enter the tomb before the deadly device is fully active once more.

‘Quickly, my lords,’ you gasp, as you break free of their grasp and stagger towards the entrance, ‘follow me!’

They hesitate, fearing you are about to trigger yet another explosion. ‘Hurry!’ you cry. ‘The trap is spent but its power is fast returning. We must enter now!’

Turn to 131
.