The Legacy of Vashna (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.

If you are a Grand Master who has reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian (5 Disciplines), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Animal Mastery

Kai Grand Guardians with this Discipline are able to summon a limited number of forest animals to their location. The creatures so summoned will become loyal and willing allies, willing to do the Kai Grand Guardian's bidding. This ability can only be used in an outdoor setting.

Assimilance

Kai Grand Guardians who possess this skill are able to create a cloud of fog-like vapour within 15 yards of their location. This fog will obscure both normal and infravision. The duration of the fog increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Grand Huntmastery

Kai Grand Guardians with this skill enjoy increased mobility when travelling across all types of terrain, whether on foot or on horseback. This improved ability is very useful when used to outdistance a pursuing enemy.

Kai-surge

Kai Grand Guardians who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to attack up to three enemies in psychic combat simultaneously.

Kai-screen

Kai Grand Guardians who possess this Discipline are able to exercise a defensive psychic skill known as Mindblend. This cloaking ability enables them to both protect and hide their minds from being detected by a hostile psychic probe.

Magi-magic

Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian are able to use the following battle-spells of the Elder Magi:

• Splinter
   — This causes breakable items such as bottles, jugs, mirrors, windows, etc., to shatter to pieces. The range of this spell increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.
  
• Flameshaft
   — This causes the tip of any Arrow or Arrow-like missile, to burn fiercely with a magical flame which cannot readily be extinguished by normal means.
  

If you are a Grand Master who has reached the rank of Sun Knight (6 Disciplines), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Grand Weaponmastery

Sun Knights with this Discipline are able to wield two-handed weapons (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, and Spear) with full effect, using only one hand.

Deliverance

Sun Knights who possess this skill are able to repair serious wounds sustained by creatures other than themselves. By the laying of hands upon the affected creature's body, a Sun Knight can cause an open wound (or other serious injury) to mend itself. The speed at which this healing takes place increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Grand Pathsmanship

Kai Sun Knights with this skill are able to repel at will all normal-sized insects within a radius of three yards. The range and number of insects so affected increase considerably as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Grand Nexus

Sun Knights who possess Mastery of this Discipline are able to feign death. By placing themselves into a state of suspended animation, outwardly they are able to achieve all semblance of being truly dead. However, whilst in this state the only sense that a Sun Knight retains is the ability to hear.

Telegnosis

Sun Knights who possess this Discipline are able to communicate telepathically over great distances. Initially the range of this ability is approximately 100 miles, but this distance increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Kai-alchemy

Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Knight are able to use the following Brotherhood Spells:

• Halt Missile
   — This causes any projected or hurled missile (e.g. arrows, axes, crossbow bolts) which may pose an immediate threat to the life of a Sun Knight, to cease its flight and remain stationary in mid-air. The effect of the spell lasts for 2–3 seconds, allowing the Sun Knight sufficient time to move away from its line of flight. Initially only one missile can be affected by this spell, but the number increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.
  
• Strength
   — By casting this spell, a Sun Knight is able to greatly increase his or her physical strength for a short duration. It can be used to lift or move heavy objects, or to effect a temporary increase in
  COMBAT SKILL
  and
  ENDURANCE
  scores whilst fighting an enemy.
  

If you are a Grand Master who has reached the rank of Sun Lord (7 Disciplines), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Grand Weaponmastery

Sun Lords with this Discipline are able to cause the metal edge of any non-magical weapon to ignite and burn fiercely. When a weapon thus affected is used in combat, it inflicts an additional 1
ENDURANCE
point loss upon an enemy in every successful round of combat. This ability cannot be used with a wholly wooden weapon such as a quarterstaff.

Assimilance

Sun Lords who possess this skill are able to cause the outline of their bodies to become blurred and indistinct. By so doing, they can greatly increase their chances of avoiding magical and/or non-magical missiles directed at them.

Grand Huntmastery

Kai Sun Lords with this skill are able to see, with acute accuracy, light in the infrared spectrum, i.e. they can see complex patterns generated by heat in near or total darkness. They can also see light in the ultraviolet spectrum.

Kai-surge

Sun Lords who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to launch a Kai-blast — a pulse of intense psychic energy which is capable of affecting both psychically active and inactive enemies. This form of psychic attack is very effective, more so than a usual Kai-surge, Psi-surge, or Mindblast. It can cause an enemy to lose between 2 and 18
ENDURANCE
points in one attack. A Kai Sun Lord using Kai-blast determines the damage inflicted on an enemy by picking two numbers from the
Random Number Table
. These numbers should be added together (a ‘0’ = 1) and the resultant total equals the damage inflicted. However, use of a Kai-blast will reduce a Sun Lord's
ENDURANCE
points total by 4. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other form of psychic attack.

Telegnosis

Sun Lords who possess this Discipline are able to alter their body weight in order to walk successfully upon different kinds of surfaces, e.g. water, mud, lava, and quicksand. Time duration and degree of surface difficulty increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Magi-magic

Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Lord are able to use the following battle-spells of the Elder Magi:

• Penetrate
   — This increases the penetrative energy of any Arrow or Arrow-like missile, launched by a Sun Lord.
  
• Energy Grasp
   — This spell enables a Sun Lord to discharge a powerful electrical force into anything he or she touches. It is similar in effect to the Brotherhood Spell
  Lightning Hand
  , but differs in that it is easier to control and channel the resulting energy. It also requires the actual touching of an object or an enemy to effect the spell.
  

Northern Magador, which borders upon the Maakengorge, is a notoriously wild and treacherous region. Be wary and on your guard at all times, for you can expect little help from the outlaws and fell creatures who dwell in this area.

Some of the things that you will encounter 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. If you discover any 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 mission, 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 venture into the unknown.

For Sommerlund and the Kai!

The hours leading up to your departure from the Kai Monastery are spent in the company of your able advisor, Lord Rimoah. Having discussed the mission at great length, you busy yourself now with the practical preparations for your long journey to Magador. He gives you a Scroll which contains a written invitation from President Kadharian to attend his senate to ‘discuss trade between Sommerlund and Magador’. It will provide a cover for you should the need arise to justify your journey. (Record this Scroll as a Special Item that does not take up any space on your
Action Chart
.) Also, in the interests of secrecy, you decide it best to discard your formal Kai robes in favour of less conspicuous garments, and you choose instead to wear the simple clothes of a guildsman — woollen breeches, leather tunic, and a cloak. Dressed thus, and aided by your innate Kai skills of Invisibility, you feel confident you will be able to travel the road to Helgor, the Magadorian capital, without drawing undue attention to yourself or your purpose.

By horse, the journey to Helgor could be expected to take five weeks. Your initial thought had been to send word to your friend, Guildmaster Banedon, requesting that he allow you use of his magical skyship,
Skyrider
. However, on this occasion you will have to forego the speedy comfort of his wondrous craft, for Banedon is using it himself on a quest to the distant land of Bhanar in southern Magnamund, and he is not expected to return to Sommerlund before the year's end.

Your second choice was also to prove unsuitable. Having resigned yourself to a long journey on horseback, you immediately sent an order to the monastery stables for your horse, Storm, to be saddled and made ready. This fine Slovarian stallion had been a gift to you from Elector Manatine of Palmyrion, in gratitude for the crucial part you played in the victory over the evil Cener Druids of Ruel. His strength, intelligence, and indomitable spirit had reminded you so much of your old Kai tutor — Storm Hawk — that you chose to name the horse Storm in his memory. But, as Rimoah quickly pointed out, such a magnificent horse would be sure to attract suspicion, especially if it was ridden by what appeared to be a humble guildsman. And so, albeit reluctantly, you had the stables prepare you another horse, a strong but less exceptional mount called Bracer.

Turn to 105
.