The Dungeons of Torgar (3 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 Magnakai 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
   15) is attacked by a Nightstalker (
   COMBAT SKILL
   22). He is not given the opportunity to evade combat but must stand and fight as the creature leaps on him. Lone Wolf has the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge to which the Nightstalker is not immune, so Lone Wolf adds 4 points to his
   COMBAT SKILL
   , giving a total
   COMBAT SKILL
   of 19.
   He subtracts the Nightstalker's
   COMBAT SKILL
   from his own, giving a Combat Ratio of −3. (19 − 22 = −3). −3 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 Nightstalker has been established as -3. If the number taken from the
   Random Number Table
   is a 6, then the result of the first round of combat is:
   
   • Lone Wolf loses 3
     ENDURANCE
     points (plus an additional 2 points for using Psi-surge)
     
   • Nightstalker loses 6
     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 the
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 only evade if the text of the particular section allows you to do so.

The following table is a guide to the ranks and titles that are achieved by Kai Masters at each stage of their training. As you successfully complete each adventure in the
Lone Wolf Magnakai
series, you will gain an additional Magnakai Discipline and progress towards the ultimate distinction of a Kai Warrior — Kai Grand Mastership.

1. Kai Master
   
2. Kai Master Senior
   
3. Kai Master Superior —
   You begin the
   Lone Wolf Magnakai
   adventures with this level of training
   .
   
4. Primate
   
5. Tutelary
   
6. Principalin
   
7. Mentora
   
8. Scion-kai
   
9. Archmaster
   
10. Kai Grand Master
    

In the years before their massacre, the Kai Masters of Sommerlund devoted themselves to the study of the Magnakai. These skills were divided into four schools of training called ‘Lore-circles’. By mastering all of the Magnakai Disciplines of a Lore-circle, the Kai Masters developed their fighting prowess (
COMBAT SKILL
), and their physical and mental stamina (
ENDURANCE
) to a level far higher than any mortal warrior could otherwise attain.

Listed below are the four Lore-circles of the Magnakai and the skills that must be mastered in order to complete them.

Circle of Fire

Weaponmastery & Huntmastery

Circle of Light

Animal Control & Curing

Circle of Solaris

Invisibility, Huntmastery & Pathsmanship

Circle of the Spirit

Psi-surge, Psi-screen, Nexus & Divination

By completing a Lore-circle, you may add to your
COMBAT SKILL
and
ENDURANCE
the extra bonus points that are shown below.

Circle of Fire

+1
CS
+2
EP

Circle of Light

0
CS
+3
EP

Circle of Solaris

+1
CS
+3
EP

Circle of the Spirit

+3
CS
+3
EP

All bonus points that you acquire by completing a Lore-circle are additions to your basic
COMBAT SKILL
and
ENDURANCE
scores.

As you rise through the higher levels of Magnakai training you will find that some of your skills will steadily improve. If you have reached the rank of Primate (four skills), Tutelary (five skills), Principalin (six skills), or Mentora (seven skills), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Magnakai Disciplines:

Animal Control

Primates with this Magnakai Discipline are able to repel an animal that is intent on harming them by blocking its sense of taste and smell. The level of success is dependent on the size and ferocity of the animal.

Curing

Primates with this skill have the ability to delay the effects of poisons, including venoms, that they may come into contact with. Although a Kai Primate with this skill is not able to neutralize a poison he is able to slow its effect, giving him more time to find an antidote or cure.

Huntmastery

Primates with this skill have a greatly increased agility and are able to climb without the use of climbing aids, such as ropes, etc.

Psi-surge

Primates with the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge will, by concentrating their psychic powers upon an object, be able to set up vibrations that may lead to the disruption or destruction of the object.

Nexus

Primates with the skill of Nexus will be able to offer a far greater resistance than before to the effects of noxious gases and fumes.

Weaponmastery

Tutelaries are able to use defensive combat skills to great effect when fighting unarmed. When entering combat without a weapon, Tutelaries lose only 2 points from their
COMBAT SKILL
, instead of the usual 4 points.

Invisibility

Tutelaries are able to increase the effectiveness of their skill when hiding from an enemy by drawing the enemy's attention to a place other than that in which they are hiding. The effectiveness of this ability increases as a Kai Master rises in rank.

Pathsmanship

Tutelaries with this skill can detect an enemy ambush within 500 yards of their position unless their
ENDURANCE
score is low due to wounds sustained or lack of food.

Psi-screen

Tutelaries with this skill develop mental defences against magical charms and hostile telepathy. These defences increase in strength as a Kai Master rises in rank.

Divination

Tutelaries who possess this Magnakai Discipline are able to recognize objects or creatures with magical skills or abilities. However, this improved Discipline can be negated if the creature or object is shielded from detection.

Animal Control

Principalins with this skill are able to call on a woodland animal (if nearby) to aid them, either in combat, or to act as a messenger or guide. The number of animals that can be summoned increases as a Kai Master rises in rank.

Invisibility

Principalins are able to mask any sounds made by their movements while using this skill.

Huntmastery

Principalins with this Magnakai Discipline are able to intensify their eyesight at will, giving them telescopic vision.

Psi-surge

Principalins using this skill in combat are able to confuse an enemy by planting seeds of doubt in its mind. The effectiveness of this ability increases as a Kai Master rises in rank.

Nexus

Principalins with this ability can extinguish fires by force of will alone. The size of the fire, and the number that can be extinguished using Nexus increases as a Kai Master rises in rank.

Weaponmastery

Mentoras skilled in Weaponmastery are more accurate when using all missile weapons, whether fired (e.g. a bow) or thrown (e.g. a dagger). When using a bow or thrown weapon and instructed to pick a number from the
Random Number Table
, add 2 to the number picked if you are a Mentora with the Magnakai Discipline of Weaponmastery.

Curing

Mentoras with this skill are able to neutralize the effects of any poisons, venoms, or toxins with which they come into contact.

Pathsmanship

Mentoras who possess this Magnakai Discipline are able to cross any kind of terrain on foot without leaving any tracks, even if the ground is covered in snow.

Psi-screen

Mentoras with this ability can protect themselves from evil spirits and other non-corporeal beings that attack with psychic energy. The effectiveness of this ability increases as a Kai Master rises in rank.

Divination

Mentoras who possess this skill are able to detect psychic residues lingering in a place where a dramatic event, such as a battle, a murder, a ritual sacrifice, or a ritual ceremony, has taken place. By meditating at the scene of the incident, a Kai Mentora is able to visualize the event, even though it may have occurred in the distant past.

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

Your quest to retrieve the last three Lorestones of Nyxator from the clutches of the Darklords will be fraught with deadly dangers. The evil host of Helgedad will summon their most brutal forces to thwart your Magnakai quest. Make notes as you progress through this story — they will be of great help in this and in future adventures.

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

Choose your three Magnakai Disciplines with care, for a wise choice enables any player to complete the quest, no matter how weak their initial
COMBAT SKILL
and
ENDURANCE
points scores. Successful completion of previous
Lone Wolf
adventures, although an advantage, is not essential for the completion of this Magnakai adventure.

The restoration of the Kai and the future of your homeland depend on the success of this mission. May the spirit of your ancestors and the wisdom of the great God Kai guide you on the path of the Magnakai.

Good luck!

It is dawn on midsummer's day when you ride out of Tahou. Since your victory over Zakhan Kimah, your appearance in a public place has been enough to provoke spontaneous cheering from the Tahouese, who regard you as their saviour. But on this warm, sunny morning you leave the city unnoticed, for on this occasion you appear to be just another messenger.

The army uniform you wear and the white horse you ride are part of an elaborate deception conceived by the Elder Magi. In order to make Darklord Gnaag believe that you are returning to Sommerlund, you have given your Kai cloak and tunic to your friend Banedon. Disguised as you, he will leave for Sommerlund aboard his flying ship Skyrider this afternoon. A formal ceremony is planned to mark his departure and another awaits his arrival at the King's Citadel in Holmgard. Gnaag has vowed to kill you: it is a vow which has become an obsession that torments him like a poisoned wound. It is hoped that Banedon's much publicized flight home will lure Gnaag's vengeful eyes away to the north and raise your chances of success at Torgar considerably.

Your ride ends in Firina, where you catch a barge down-river to the port of Talon. There you hear news of a rebellion in Barrakeesh, the Vassagonian capital, and reports of the sudden withdrawal of all Vassagonia's troops from the lands she invaded early in the war. It bodes well for the continuing struggle against the Darklords, for Vassagonia was their only major ally. You spend one night in Talon before buying passage aboard a merchantman on its way along the Tentarias, and five days later you disembark at Garthen, the capital of Talestria.

Talestria was overrun in the early days of the war but the neighbouring country of Palmyrion came quickly to her aid. The armies of Talestria and Palmyrion united and fought the invading horde, led by Warlord Zegron of Ogia, on the battle-plains to the north of Garthen. For three days and three nights a bitter struggle raged and the allies were sorely pressed to withstand the overwhelming numbers of the enemy ranged against them. But on the morning of the fourth day, the unexpected arrival of the dwarven army of Bor was to seal Zegron's doom. His mighty force crumbled and the survivors, fleeing northwards in chaos, were pursued relentlessly. The latest news tells of the allies' capture of Xanar, a major Ogian stronghold, and their continued advance westward along the Blackshroud Trail.

The Royal Court of Queen Evaine would be honoured to assist you, but secrecy is paramount to the success of your quest and so you shun the Royal Palace and take lodgings instead at a humble dockside tavern. There you arrange transportation to Eru aboard a brigantine bound for Humbold, the Eruan capital, and leave next day on the noon tide. Upon your arrival, you make your way to the city's ancient quarter where the Elder Magi have arranged a clandestine meeting with Prince Graygor. In the cellar of a disused warehouse, the young Prince waits patiently for your coming. Like you, he is dressed in the clothes of a messenger in order that he can walk the streets of his city incognito. He welcomes you with a salute, bringing his hand diagonally across his chest, and assures you that your true identity is known only to him. For over an hour you discuss your plans and listen to the Prince recount some of the events that have disturbed the peace of Eru. Two years ago, Drakkarim renegades from the Hammerlands attacked and overran his northern city of Luomi. The inhabitants were slaughtered and the holy temple of Luomi, around which the city was founded, was looted and burnt to the ground. Only recently did he learn from the Elder Magi that the ancient temple held the Lorestone of Luomi, one of the three Lorestones now locked in Torgar. At the time of the attack the Prince's army was too small to repel the invaders and he was forced to abandon the city, as well as the border town of Cetza. But in the past month he has joined forces with King Sarnac of Lencia, and together they have recaptured Luomi and driven Baron Shinzar and his Hammerland rebels all the way back to Cetza, within thirty miles of the border.

The Prince invites you to accompany him to Luomi where he is to resume command of his army and lead them to battle. He provides you with a fine Eruan steed and a new disguise that will enable you to travel through Eru without drawing undue attention to yourself.

Dressed as an Eruan Pathfinder, one of an élite unit of woodsmen who operate in the harsh territories bordering the Hellswamp, you ride north with the Prince's entourage and arrive at the city five days later. Every house, stable, tavern, and municipal building is filled to overflowing with knights and men at arms. But, despite their cramped billets and meagre rations, the soldiers of Eru and Lencia are in good spirits, for tomorrow they march against a foe they have already beaten in battle, and most are eager to finish the job once and for all. You are given lodgings within the main citadel of Luomi and later that evening, after the Prince has attended a war conference with King Sarnac, you meet in private to discuss the next stage of your quest.

‘There are two ways to reach Torgar,’ says the Prince, as you study the
map
given to you by the Senate of Tahou. ‘You can cross the River Brol and make your way northwards through the Moggador Forest, or you can go to Pirsi and seek out Sebb Jarel. He is the leader of a brave band of partisans who have ambushed and resisted the Drakkarim ever since they invaded. If there is a path to Torgar between the Hellswamp and the Isle of Ghosts, he will know it.’

You ponder the choices and wonder why the Prince has not suggested the simplest route of all: north across the Isle of Ghosts. When you mention this he shakes his head ominously. ‘The isle is cursed,’ he says, pointing at the
map
with an accusing finger. ‘Few have ever come out of that dreadful place alive. And of those poor wretches who have survived, only one has kept a grip of his sanity. His name is Sebb Jarel.’

Next day you rise with the dawn and prepare to set off on your journey to Torgar. There are two routes open to you: you can ride to Pirsi and seek out Sebb Jarel, the partisan leader, and the only man who can guide you through this treacherous wilderness; or you can accompany Prince Graygor to battle at Cetza. If his army beats the Drakkarim and forces them to retreat, the way across the River Brol will be open and you will be able to approach Torgar under cover of the Moggador Forest. Consult the
map
before you decide which route to take.

If you wish to go to Pirsi,
turn to 176
.

If you choose to accompany Prince Graygor to battle at Cetza,
turn to 308
.