Sorry for the extremely long delay. Got married... bought a house... blah blah blah... Back to Lonewolf already in progress...
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ravenconspiracy: lonewolf?
TheCheeter: sure
ravenconspiracy: oveur dewr
ravenconspiracy: ok
TheCheeter: ovew hew
ravenconspiracy: ok
ravenconspiracy: When we last left off you had just left Rhygar to hold the tunnel entrance of the Tarnalin, a massive cave which goes through the Hammerdal mountains.
TheCheeter: oh yes
ravenconspiracy: You have a magical spear and a dagger stuck in your boot.
TheCheeter: i check my magical spear
ravenconspiracy: The haft is covered with engravings.
ravenconspiracy: You also have 30 gold crowns.
ravenconspiracy: And the all-important SEAL OF HAMMERDAL.
TheCheeter: i practice for 5 minutes wielding it, it's been a long time
ravenconspiracy: You test it's weight carefully as you enter the cave.
ravenconspiracy: It seems to be an excellent weapon.
TheCheeter: excellent
ravenconspiracy: Although you prefer the long or short sword.
TheCheeter: I stop breathing as I enter the cave stealthly
ravenconspiracy: Tarnalin is a wonder to behold. Over a hundred feet in height and width, the tunnel runs to the capital on the far side of the Hammerdal range. Usually it is alive with the traffic of wagons and people to and from Port Bax. But as you enter, you find it deserted except for an overturned fruit cart. The road that disappears into the torchlit tunnel is empty and quiet.
As you walk along the paved road, you get an uneasy feeling that perhaps the Helghast have arrived at Tarnalin before you. You have been walking for nearly an hour when the tunnel splits in two.
ravenconspiracy: As usual say ok when you finish reading a section.
TheCheeter: ok
ravenconspiracy: You sense that the left tunnel is the quickest route to Hammerdal by about two miles. Just before you reach the junction you come across a large puddle in the centre of the highway. You notice that two sets of footprints, about the size and shape of a man's boot trail away from the water and lead off into both tunnels. The prints are still wet and you judge that they were made within the last twenty minutes.
TheCheeter: i take the left way
ravenconspiracy: ok
ravenconspiracy: pause
TheCheeter: i would like to track the foot prints
ravenconspiracy: Ahead you can see a passenger wagon similar in design to those that use the coast roads of Ragadorn. The horses have been cut free and it appears to be deserted. You notice the bodies of three soldiers lying beneath it. Their uniforms are heavily bloodstained.
Your senses warns you that the wagon contains an evil presence.
ravenconspiracy: What do you wish to do?
TheCheeter: I sneak up to the wagon and prepare to pounce
ravenconspiracy: You approach the wagon in silence, holding your breath.
ravenconspiracy: Suddenly from out of the darkness there is a blood-chilling cry. You find yourself staring into the glowing eyes of a Helghast. As it tries to close its fingers around your throat, you scream in terror and fall to the ground. The hideous creature tears at your tunic, rending the cloth with its black claws.
ravenconspiracy:
www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill8.htmTheCheeter: holy s*&^!
TheCheeter: I thrust into him with my spear
ravenconspiracy: You grab the shaft of the spear and thrust it upwards into the rib cage of the Helghast. It screams in agony and rage, and releases its grip on your throat. You roll away in time to see the hideous creature fall writhing on the ground, desperately trying to pull the spear from its body.
TheCheeter: "back o the hell.....hel ghast!"
TheCheeter: i keep thrusting
ravenconspiracy: The horrific sight of the writhing creature fills you with loathing for the Darklords and their evil minions.
When the Helghast has finally crumbled to nothing and you are quite sure that it has been destroyed, you remove the Magic Spear and wipe the tip on its smouldering robe.
Anxious to leave this place, you run down the tunnel as fast as you can.
ravenconspiracy: You have covered nearly three miles when you see a group of wagons in the distance. They have been strung out across the highway to form a barricade. Soldiers in red uniforms line the roofs of the wagons and a large crowd of people have gathered behind them. You can hear their excited chatter echoing along the tunnel. As you get closer, there is a sudden silence as all eyes turn to stare at you. A detachment of ten soldiers, led by a knight whose shield bears the royal arms of Durenor, advances towards you.
TheCheeter: i run with the picture of horror from the creature still fresh in my mind, and on my webbrowser
TheCheeter: I approach to meet the knight
ravenconspiracy: Cautiously, the soldiers surround you and demand to take your weapons.
TheCheeter: i hold up the symbol "this is the symbol of hammerdol!"
ravenconspiracy: You show him the Seal of Hammerdal. Then, without hesitation, he orders his men back and ushers you through the wall of wagons. Beyond, you can see a horse-drawn carriage waiting in the centre of the crowded tunnel.
'Back to Hammerdal without delay,' he orders the driver, and you are thrown back in your seat as the coach moves off at breakneck speed.
You soon learn that the knight is Lord Axim of Ryme,(http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill17.htm) commander of King Alin's personal bodyguard. He was on his way to Port Bax when the Helghast entered Tarnalin. He and ten soldiers were the only ones to survive a deadly encounter with these evil creatures.
The journey to the capital will take five hours and you are advised by Lord Axim to get some rest. As you slowly drift off to sleep, you begin a dream about the Sommerswerd. You picture a triumphant return to Holmgard and the defeat of the Darklord siege. Perhaps it will be a good omen of events to come?
ravenconspiracy: It is early morning on the fifteenth day of your quest when you open your eyes to the breathtaking spectacle of Hammerdal, the mountain city. The capital of Durenor, unlike other cities in the Lastlands, does not need man-made fortifications. The encircling peaks of the Hammerdal range offer a far more secure protection to the people within.
www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill1.htmThe carriage speeds through the lush farmlands surrounding the city with its many towers and wide streets. On a hill in the very centre of Hammerdal stands the King's Tower, a magnificent structure of glass and stone. As the carriage halts at the tower gates, you suddenly realize for the first time that as a wielder of the Sommerswerd, your destiny is to become part of the oldest legend of the Lastlands.
TheCheeter: I must get to the kings tower
TheCheeter: thank you lord axim]
TheCheeter: your rewards in paradise increase with every helghast who falls
ravenconspiracy: You are immediately taken to the King.
King Alin IV sits alone in his domed tower, viewing his mountain domain through one of the many portals of tinted glass. You and Lord Axim are formally announced as you enter the chamber, and you respectfully bow to his Majesty. Then, Lord Axim removes the Seal of Hammerdal from your finger and walks over to the King's side.
For nearly an hour they talk, their sombre faces reflecting the seriousness of the situation. There is a short pause of silent meditation, and King Alin suddenly rises from his throne and addresses you for the first time.
'Alas, the Darklords have woken once more, and once more does Sommerlund come in search of our aid. I had prayed that my reign would be remembered as a time of peace and fulfilment, but in my heart I knew it was to be otherwise.'
The King removes a golden key from the pocket of his white robe and inserts it in a marble dais standing in the centre of the chamber. A gentle humming fills the room, as the stone cover slides back to reveal the hilt of a golden sword.
'Take the sword, Lone Wolf. It is foretold that only a true son of Sommerlund can release the powers that lie within its blade.'
As you grasp the glowing hilt, a tingling sensation runs up your arm and radiates throughout your body.
TheCheeter: Thank you good king, perhaps after this is all over the rest of your reign will be a peaceful one I swing it around
ravenconspiracy: The power coursing through your body so overwhelms your senses that you become oblivious to your surroundings. You instinctively raise the blade above your head where a shaft of sunlight suddenly catches upon its very tip and floods the chamber with a blinding white glow. At that moment the true power of the Sommerswerd is revealed to you.
This weapon was forged long before the Sommlending, the Durenese or the Darklords dwelt in the Lastlands. Its makers were of a race that men would now call gods. To release the power that it contains, only a Kai Lord may wield it. Should it be used in combat by anyone who is not a Kai Lord, its power will fade and be lost forever.
When used in combat, the Sommerswerd has the ability to absorb any magic that is used against its bearer, and it deals terrifying undead enemies (e.g. Helghast) in combat. It is the only weapon in all of Magnamund that can kill a Darklord, and for this reason the Darklords are bent on thwarting your quest.
You now realize you hold the only power in Magnamund that can save your people. Slowly the light starts to fade and you become aware of Lord Axim's hand upon your shoulder.
'Come, Lone Wolf, there is much preparation for your return to Sommerlund.'
You sheathe the Sommerswerd in its jewelled scabbard and follow Lord Axim as he leaves the King's chamber.
ravenconspiracy: Thats a lot more exposition than you usually get from swinging around a magical weapon... damn.
ravenconspiracy:
www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill5.htmTheCheeter: jeezus dont get too close to that thing
ravenconspiracy: pause
TheCheeter: I sheath its god like power with excitement and announce "my quest has only begun!" "the dark lord will destroyed!"
ravenconspiracy: unpause
The muster of the army and the preparation of the Durenese fleet takes fourteen days to complete, during which time you remain as a guest of the king in Hammerdal. As each day passes, you despair for your besieged countrymen of Holmgard and pray that they have enough strength to resist the Darklords until you return.
Every day of your reluctant exile you devote long periods to exercise and meditation. You are also visited by a Durenese herbwarden called Madin Rendalim, who is famous throughout the Lastlands for his knowledge and skill in the healing arts. He restores all the damage you may have taken so far on your adventure, and he gives you a potent Laumspur potion that will restore endurance if swallowed after combat.
TheCheeter: thank you i say and then go back to rigorous training
ravenconspiracy: He is also the bearer of some sad news. The body of Lord-lieutenant Rhygar was found in the forest near to the entrance to Tarnalin. He was killed by Helghast.
ravenconspiracy: You have noticed during your rigorous training exercises with the Sommerswerd that your Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense has become more sensitive than ever before: you knew exactly what Madin Rendalim's sad news was long before he actually told you. You may find that your improved Sixth Sense will be an important advantage upon your return to Holmgard.
TheCheeter: Rhygar? where have i heard that name before?
TheCheeter: thats terrible news
ravenconspiracy: It is early in the morning of the thirty-third day of your quest, when you ride into Port Bax with Lord Axim at your side.
The preparations for war have been completed. The galleons of the Durenese war fleet lie at anchor in the harbour, impatiently awaiting the order to set sail for Sommerlund. On board each ship are many brave soldiers from the mountain kingdom, a tough army of skilled warriors, eager to face the Darklords in battle. Each man has sworn to avenge their besieged allies, or die in the attempt.
You are to sail back to Holmgard aboard the flagship Durenor, a warship whose great curving prow and tall masts emphasize its sheer power and strength. You and Lord Axim are taken aboard and welcomed by Admiral Calfen, commander of the fleet, and then the fleet prepares to set sail.
In less than an hour, the harbour lies far behind you. The domes of Port Bax are now merely dots on the horizon.
ravenconspiracy: lol "Rhygar?" *shrug*
ravenconspiracy: It has be awhile
ravenconspiracy: when you finish reading the section above, roll a die!!!
TheCheeter: i mourn him and roll a 5
ravenconspiracy: For three days and nights, the fleet of Durenor spread canvas and sail swiftly towards the Holmgulf. But although the voyage is fast, each ship in the fleet is cursed by misfortune. Sails tear, ropes mysteriously untie themselves and timbers warp and leak. The men become short-tempered in the cramped quarters and fighting, often to the death, is commonplace. By the third night of the voyage, Lord Axim is close to despair.
'Never have I suffered such a wretched journey. No enemy has been sighted nor battle fought, yet half my men are either ill or wounded, and we have lost two of our finest ships. We have been jinxed by an evil moon. How I pray that it would wane, for even if we were to arrive in Holmgard this very night I fear we are too weak to break the siege.'
As he speaks, you can see the dawn of the next day breaking. You think it may bring promise of relief, but the calm waters that now surround the fleet contain a far deadlier threat.
ravenconspiracy: A veil of sea fog has rolled across the still ocean from the broken spine of land known as the Kirlundin Isles. Strange dark shapes hide within this mist. They are growing larger, and slowly the distinct outlines of ships become plain.
'Prepare for battle!' The admiral's cry is repeated along the many decks of the Durenese fleet.
'All hands on deck!'
As the black ships approach through the fog, a horrific sight befalls you. They are death-hulks, sunken ships crewed by the living corpses of drowned sailors. They have been summoned to the surface by great wizardry, and they are closing for battle. Suddenly the fog vanishes, and you can now see that the death-hulks bar the entrance to the Holmgulf. In the centre of the line is their sinister flagship. Swiftly it sails towards you, a huge ram protruding from its black prow. As it rips its way through the hull of the Durenor, you hear the admiral's last desperate order.
ravenconspiracy:
www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill6.htmravenconspiracy: 'Abandon ship!'
You are now in the thick of the enemy fleet and the Durenor is sinking fast.
What do you do?
TheCheeter: holy ghast! I quickly try and get a cadre of men to board the blasted death ship by use of rope from the gearing
ravenconspiracy: Shouting encouragement you swing to the enemy flag-ship!
TheCheeter: I shall take out the captain i shout we'll make our way to the captain and behead his glowing skull!
ravenconspiracy: You have grand dreams but as you land on the rotting timbers of the death-ship you crash straight through to the deck below. You are unharmed by the fall, but the stench of decay that fills your nostrils is overwhelming. You clamber up and unsheathe the Sommerswerd. Four ghastly zombies stagger out of the gloom, their twisted hands extended towards your throat.
ravenconspiracy: Roll a die for combat!
TheCheeter: 3
ravenconspiracy: IN a single dazzling swing of the glittering sword all three zombies are severed through the chest. A single dismembered zombie's hand claws at your ankle but you remove it casually.
ravenconspiracy: Someone or something is approaching the door of the hold from the other side. If you climb out through the shattered deck, you will leave your legs vulnerable to attack from below and there is no other way out. You sense that it is an evil creature of some considerable power. Raise the Sommerswerd and prepare for combat.
ravenconspiracy: The door bursts open and in rushes a Helghast, its black sword raised. You strike the creature as it enters the hold and open a terrible gash in its chest. It lets out a hideous cry but although badly wounded, it leaps forward to attack you. You must fight this creature to the death.
ravenconspiracy: roll a die!
TheCheeter: 10
ravenconspiracy: You behead the ghastly creature before it even recovers from your first attack. It sags to the ground in a heap of anti-climax.
TheCheeter: to hell with you!
TheCheeter: i continue on looking back at his dark sword
ravenconspiracy: You make your way up a flight of stairs and onto the crowded deck. Fierce battle rages all around you as the Durenese fleet is engulfed by the rush of ghostly death-hulks. Suddenly a flash of searing flame shoots from a tower at the rear of the death-hulk you are on, and explodes into the side of a Durenese warship less than fifty yards away. You watch with horror as soldiers leap from the deck, their clothes and hair in flames.
TheCheeter: i check the helm
ravenconspiracy:
www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill10.htmTheCheeter: does it look like I could save them?
ravenconspiracy: The death-hulk falgship you are on doesn't ahve a typical helm design. Instead it is dominated by a huge, rotting seige-tower from which blasts of flame are erupting.
TheCheeter: he looks like a victim of neromunda
ravenconspiracy: He's a victim of Magnamunda.
TheCheeter: i ascend the siege tower looking for a demon that might have a peg leg or captains hat
ravenconspiracy: Two zombies try to block your passage but you cleave them in half with one sweep of the Sommerswerd. You are at the foot of the tower and you can now see a hunchbacked man in crimson robes above you. He wears a tall, curved tokmor, a magician's head-dress. It bears the emblem of a serpent. In his right hand is a black staff.
ravenconspiracy: The keen sight you have developed through your Kai Discipline of Tracking has enabled you to identify the talisman that sits on top of the black staff. It is the crescent and crystal star emblem of the Magicians' Guild of Toran in northern Sommerlund. This man is a renegade of the guild and a traitor to your country.
TheCheeter: red robed demon wizard bow to the sowrd of sommerweld and surrender or be sent to hell!
ravenconspiracy: The climb is very difficult, giving you plenty of time to reherse your speech for the evil wizard, for you have only one free hand--the other holds the glowing hilt of the Sommerswerd.
You eventually reach the rim of the tower and quickly hook a leg over the narrow ledge. You are about to jump into the tower and attack when a thin voice makes you freeze.
'How I shall delight in the irony of your death, Lone Wolf.'
The sorcerer is standing in the far corner of the tower, his left hand pointing at your head. 'Your quest has failed Lone Wolf. Now you must die!'
ravenconspiracy: A blinding flash of orange flame shoots from his hand towards your face!!!!!
TheCheeter: i parry with my sword
TheCheeter: deflect
ravenconspiracy: In a fraction of a second, the searing burst of flame changes direction in mid-air and is drawn towards the blade of the Sommerswerd. The bolt of energy disappears into the golden blade like water into a drain.
TheCheeter: you have made the mistake that has sealed your fate! i charge into him
ravenconspiracy: The sorcerer curses you, pulls a jewel from his ornate tokmor and throws it at your feet. There is a flash of flame and a cloud of choking green gas billows up in your face, filling your nostrils with its acidic smell. You are forced to jump to the deck below to avoid the poisonous gas, and you just catch a glimpse of the sorcerer as he frantically paddles a small boat away from the death-hulk flagship.
TheCheeter: i shake my fist with summerweld in it over the railing of the ship at him
ravenconspiracy: The wizard's dingy disappears into the chaos of the naval battle. You haven't gotten bored of shaking your sword at him before you being to realize that undead warriors are closing in around you...
TheCheeter: i turn and face them
TheCheeter: fallen sailors return to your lockers of sunken goodness
ravenconspiracy: You slice the first two, severing limbs and liberating torsos but more press in on all sides. Staying here would mean certain death.
TheCheeter: i leap over the railing into the black accursed water
ravenconspiracy: You hit the water and swim submerged for over a minute to avoid the falling bodies and burning debris of the battle. When you are finally forced to the surface for air, you catch a glimpse of a sight that raises your hopes of fulfilling your quest.
ravenconspiracy: Blinking the foul water from your eyes, you can see that the flagship of the death-hulk fleet is now ablaze. Black smoke is pouring from the decks, and tongues of orange and yellow flame flicker from its rotten black hull.
TheCheeter: ta ha! i search for shelter and dry places
ravenconspiracy: Suddenly, you are aware of the beating of wings directly above you. You are shocked to see a Kraan hovering above, trying to grab at you with its sharp claws. Its hooked talons catch your cloak and suddenly you are snatched up into the air.
TheCheeter: i thrust sommerweld upward with both hand
TheCheeter: s
ravenconspiracy: You draw the Sommerswerd and sink it into the soft belly of the creature. With a shriek of agony, it releases its grip and you fall. You pray that luck will be on your side and that you will land safely.
TheCheeter: yes
ravenconspiracy: Luck is with you, for you land safely on the deck of the Kalkarm, a Durenese warship. The soldiers here have been involved in a desperate battle but have fought off the enemy and are cutting the grappling ropes that hold the ship to a death-hulk. From out of the smoke strides Lord Axim, his face bloodied and his shield badly scarred.
'Thank the gods you are alive, Lone Wolf. The fight has been bitter and our losses are high, but I am heartened indeed to see you standing before me now,' he says and leads you to the ship's rail. 'Look yonder, their flagship is ablaze.'
Through the fog of war you can see that the huge death-hulk is slowly sinking beneath a plume of dense black smoke. The Kalkarm is eventually freed and slowly it manoeuvres out of the tangle of wreckage. A wind begins to stir, filling its tattered sails and carrying away the smoke of battle. Lord Axim orders the Royal Arms of Durenor to be hoist aloft so that other ships can rally to the Kalkarm. For the first time since the battle began, you can now see the other Durenese ships. It is an amazing sight for as the enemy flagship sinks beneath the waves, so every death-hulk on the horizon returns to its watery grave.
'Their sorcery is broken. We have won this battle,' says Lord Axim. And within a few minutes, not one of the death-hulks remains afloat.
TheCheeter: i pat lord Axim in a manly way on he shoulder
TheCheeter: Ta ha Lord Axim we've done it!
ravenconspiracy: He basks in your reassurance. Indeed, there is much to be reassured of for your work is not done!
Seventy Durenese warships left Port Bax, but only fifty now enter the Holmgulf. The battle has claimed many brave men including Admiral Calfen, who died aboard the flagship Durenor, the first ship to be sunk. But despite the heavy loss, a great victory has been won, a victory which inspires the Durenese soldiers with new strength so that the past ordeal of both the voyage and the battle are now forgotten. As their optimism and determination return, all are eager to reach Holmgard and raise the siege.
It is dusk on the thirty-seventh day of your quest when you sight the spires of Holmgard on the horizon. The city still stands defiantly against the army of Darklords, although constantly under siege. Flickering in the darkness you can see the small fires which burn throughout the capital. A confident Lord Axim joins you at the prow.
'The moonless sky will aid us this night. We shall enter the harbour unseen. Come the dawn, my men will scatter the wretched foe like dead leaves upon the wind of a storm.'
As you enter Holmgard harbour at the head of the Durenese fleet, you unsheathe the Sommerswerd and prepare to fulfil your destiny.
TheCheeter: i prepare for the worst and enter the city letting lord axim show me around the hotspots
ravenconspiracy: He begins with a tour of current war-torn sections.
TheCheeter: I'll note places for future shopping visits
ravenconspiracy: Holmgard has suffered much since your departure. Many of the shops and houses you remember passing on your way to the quay, are little more now than heaps of ashes. The Darklords' army with their evil engines of war surround the walls, and the flaming arcs of fireballs shooting through the air continually light the night sky as they rain down on the streets below. The people fight the fire as best they can, but they are hungry and exhausted and close to surrender. At first, as it enters the harbour, the fleet is mistaken for the enemy and cries of despair can be heard all along the quay. But as the first of the soldiers set foot in the city and unfurl the royal arms of Durenor, the news of your return spreads quickly. The cries of despair have changed to a chorus of cheers: 'The Kai Lord has returned.'
You are standing at the top of the great watchtower, high above the main gate of the city, when the first light of dawn creeps slowly over the horizon. Thousand upon thousand of the black-clad enemy are massed around the city wall, huddled like beetles in the trenches that cover the plain. In the midst of this horde, a great red tent has been erected bearing the symbol of a broken skull. It is the mark of Zagarna, Lord of Kaag, a Darklord of Helgedad. His great ambition is the destruction of Holmgard; his fiercest desire to lead his army to victory over the House of Ulnar and claim Sommerlund for his own.
But victory is not to be his this day. Raising the Sommerswerd high above your head, a shaft of dawn sunlight catches upon the tip of the golden sword and a brilliant flash of blinding white flame runs the entire length of the blade. The power of the Sommerswerd electrifies you. Your senses reel and now your body reacts instinctively. You lower the Sommerswerd and point the blade towards the tent of Lord Zagarna. There is a mighty roar as the power of the sun-sword is unleashed in a searing white beam. The tent explodes and a brilliant fireball of white flame mushrooms skyward. A long and terrible cry rends the air. It is Lord Zagarna. The leader of the evil army is no more.
www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill20.htmGripped with fear and panic, the vast black army rise up and run in chaos from the city wall. The impossible has happened, their invincible master is slain. Again the Sommerswerd has returned to defeat them. The army and the allies of Durenor ride out of the city gates in pursuit of the panic-stricken enemy as they run blindly towards the Durncrag Mountains. The victory is yours. Holmgard is saved and the murder of the Kai has finally been avenged.
But for you, Lone Wolf, a life of high adventure has only just begun. A new challenge awaits you and the Sommerswerd in Book Three of the Lone Wolf series (the excessively deadly):
Caverns of Kalte
ravenconspiracy: Are you ready for more?
TheCheeter: d%$n!
TheCheeter: i threw a freakin nuke
TheCheeter: do you see that dog man run in terror?
ravenconspiracy: yeah... he didn't get very far
TheCheeter: hes like holy [fudge]
TheCheeter: awesome
TheCheeter: sure
ravenconspiracy: ok
ravenconspiracy: next installment The Caverns of Kalte
ravenconspiracy: You just returned to Holmgard at the head of a great fleet--the allies of Durenor--and destroyed the Darklord army that besieged your capital.
Much of Sommerlund was ruined by the war. The rich farmlands were laid waste and many towns were razed to the ground. But the Sommlending are a tough people and were undaunted by the enormous task that lay ahead. They set about the rebuilding of war-torn Sommerlund with such determination that now, one year later, few of the scars of war remain visible.
For the crucial part that you played in the victory, the King has bestowed upon you the rank and title of 'Fryearl of Sommerlund', a rare honour for one so young. The ruins of the Kai monastery and much of the surrounding lands are now 'Fryelund' under your protection.
ravenconspiracy: Work to rebuild the monastery was about to commence when disturbing news from the north prompted the King to summon you to the capital. Many merchants, returning from the summer trading expeditions to Kalte, told of the fall of the Brumalmarc--the leader of the Ice Barbarians. The description of the hunchbacked magician who has succeeded the fierce Brumalmarc fits only one man--Vonotar the Traitor.
After the defeat of the Darklords, Vonotar escaped to the frozen wastes of Kalte. He made his way to the ice fortress of Ikaya where, through deception, he tricked the cruel Brumalmarc into adopting him as his magician. It was a mistake that was to cost the barbarian leader his fortress and his life.
The news that Vonotar still lives spreads like wildfire throughout Sommerlund. Thousands of Sommlending surround the capital and demand that Vonotar be made to pay for his treachery. So great is the outcry that the King is obliged to promise that the evil traitor will be brought back to Holmgard, and made to stand trial for his crimes.
ravenconspiracy: For you, Lone Wolf, the King's promise is the start of a quest that will pit you against a hated foe, deep within the hostile Caverns of Kalte.
TheCheeter: who is this foe my king?
ravenconspiracy: "Well, Lonewolf, I'm a little bit hurt that you didn't listen to my story more closely... I've been working on the draft for a few days for you..." says the king, "but it's that guy who tried to kill you on his ship. Remember? The wizard?"
TheCheeter: oh i knew it was the red d00d
TheCheeter: but i thought you said that there was another man there maybe a dark lord?
ravenconspiracy: "No, just the wizard. Well, his name is Vonotar, and he's a traitor, so I'd like you to call him Vonotar the Traitor."
ravenconspiracy: roll a die
TheCheeter: Vonotar the traitor will pay for joining the minions of the dead who sunk all those dunotar ships last year, he will be brought before you king with a bright red bow
TheCheeter: 6
ravenconspiracy: You have mastered the use of an AXE in combat
ravenconspiracy: ok
TheCheeter: I focus on Summerweld and try to turn it into an axe with my kai mind
ravenconspiracy: The king offers you some Leather armor for your journey. He seems embarrassed he can't find anything more knightly around the palace.
Also a Potion of Laumspur (healing)
and Some Rations
TheCheeter: thankyou good king i shall pay for these goods upon my arrival on tuesday with an evil wizard
ravenconspiracy: Right now you already have 1 potion, a magic spear, the sommerswerd, a dagger, 30 gold crowns, and thats about it
TheCheeter: good
TheCheeter: what am i wearing?
ravenconspiracy: Your green Kai tunic and cloak. And Kai brand boots and breeches.
ravenconspiracy: Of course you'll get some cold-weather furs for the journey.
TheCheeter: Kai furs?
ravenconspiracy: Yeah.
TheCheeter: i only shop at Kai TM*
TheCheeter: excellent i shall set off alone
ravenconspiracy: ok
ravenconspiracy: lots of text coming
ravenconspiracy: Even before you accepted the task of bringing Vonotar to justice, preparations were being made for your voyage to Kalte. The captain of the Sommlending warship Cardonal, having returned from a long Kaltersee patrol, was ordered to await your arrival at Anskaven. During the night, food, ice equipment and Kanu-dog teams were taken on board. The mission was highly secret--only senior members of the crew were told the true nature of the voyage that lay ahead.
The plan is to set you ashore at Halle Bluff, drop anchor and await your return. An élite team of trusted guides will lead you from the bluff to Ikaya. Once inside the ice fortress, you are to hunt down and capture Vonotar, and then return with your guides to the ship. Your mission must be accomplished within thirty days at most, for winter is closing in and no ship can withstand the grip of the Kalte pack-ice. If you do not return in time, the captain will be forced to set sail without you.
For six days, the Cardonal sails across the stormy Kaltersee without running into a storm; but every day the temperature steadily drops until a layer of ice covers the decks. On the morning of the seventh day, the snow-capped island of Tola is sighted on the horizon. Soon after, a light wind rises from the west.
TheCheeter: we're close captain! i can feel it in my kai heart
ravenconspiracy: At first, there appears to be little danger, but within half an hour a furious blizzard is blowing, and all sight of land quickly vanishes in the scudding drift. All day the furious gale rages. Tremendous winds slice the tops of the huge grey waves and water crashes over the decks, masts and rigging of the ship, freezing almost immediately into solid ice. The sides of the ship become several feet thick with sea water. It is not until early evening that the weather clears, and although the wind still blows strongly, the force of the gale is spent.
You are soon to discover that the gale has blown the ship nearly thirty miles off course, along the lip of the Ljuk ice shelf. You know that to return to Halle Bluff would waste a precious day, so you decide to land on the ice shelf and start your mission from there.
As the last of the Kanu-dogs are carried ashore, your guides tell you of the two possible routes to Ikaya from here. The first route involves a hundred and thirty mile trek to Cloudmaker Mountain and then, following the difficult terrain of the Viad Glacier, a further hundred miles must be covered before you arrive at the ice fortress. The alternative route involves a longer journey of nearly one hundred and eighty miles into the Hrod Basin, followed by a trek of a hundred miles through Storm Giant Pass to Ikaya. Even if the weather and your luck hold good, either route will involve ten days of hard trekking before you reach your goal. You should consult the map of Kalte before making your decision.
www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/03tcok/maplarge.htmTheCheeter: i shall take the hrod basin journey
ravenconspiracy: You are to travel to Ikaya by sledge. Two sledges have been loaded with enough food, and equipment for the mission, each drawn by a team of six Kanu-dogs. This sturdy breed is native to Kalte and make ideal sledge dogs. Their thick tawny coats and powerful chests, as well as their renowned vigour and enthusiasm make them well suited to the harsh work ahead.
Your three guides, Irian, Fenor and Dyce, are all experienced trappers. They are skilled at survival in this icy desert, and have experienced its many unseen dangers. Once the dogs are in harness, you and Irian climb aboard your sledge and signal to the others to lead the way.
Staring across the frozen expanse of the Ljuk ice shelf, you see the white glare of the Hrod Basin edge. '"Ice-Blink" they call it,' says Irian, his eyes glinting from deep inside the hood of his fur jacket. 'It's the reflection of the ice shelf. It looks no more than four miles away at most, but it's nearer forty than four. The air of Kalte can be very deceptive.'
The weather is bright and windless and you make excellent progress on the first day. As darkness sets in, you decide to set up camp for the night. The sledges are drawn together, and the tent is erected in the salient away from the wind.
ravenconspiracy: You get an uneasy feeling that someone or something is watching you. You leave the tent and peer into the night for some sign of life, but the snow and the darkness hide everything. Reluctantly, you return to the tent and go to sleep with one hand by your weapon in case of a surprise attack.
TheCheeter: i head outside my tent for another look
ravenconspiracy: You get up and move to the opening in the tent
ravenconspiracy: outside the air is still and a bright full moon shines overhead
TheCheeter: I scrutinize the surrounding area for helghastedness for 5 minutes
TheCheeter: and return back into the tent
ravenconspiracy: you look around and notice that despite the moon the land is black when you should see an expanse of pure white snow.
ravenconspiracy: You undestand better when the blackness moves revealing itself to be an army of Drakkarim warrior in black cloaks mere yards from the tents!
TheCheeter: "alarm!" i shout and take out my sword and charge
ravenconspiracy: Suddenly you realize things are not as they first seemed. You are grogilly slurring the alarm wrappe dup in your warm furs. "What's wrong?" Says Irian. 'It's a beautiful morning,' says Irian cheerfully, his head appearing through the tent flap. You quickly climb out of your sleeping furs and stare out over the icy landscape. The Kalte air is fresh and clear. You see a strong mirage in the distance that seems to throw the land up much higher than it could possibly be.
'We should make it to "The Rock" by nightfall,' says Fenor, as he busily pulls a reluctant Kanu-dog into its harness. 'Best to make camp there tonight. The shelter is good; this far from the sea, a blizzard can whip across the shelf from nowhere in a few minutes. I've known trappers to be blown for miles if they're careless or unlucky enough to be caught out on the shelf with no cover.'
That day, the Kanu-dogs pull strong and true, for the going is smooth across the ice shelf. By nightfall, you have reached 'The Rock', a splinter of granite that has thrust through the ice shelf. Its curious shape reminds you of the King's citadel in Holmgard. You make camp to the leeward side of 'The Rock', to avoid the worst of the night winds.
TheCheeter: so it was a dream?
ravenconspiracy: Yeah
TheCheeter: i stare at the place where i saw the knights
TheCheeter: they were there!
ravenconspiracy: Nothing but playing Kanu-dogs.
ravenconspiracy: roll a die
TheCheeter: i scratch my kai monk bald head and then collapse my tent
TheCheeter: 9
ravenconspiracy: you ar eonly bald in your dream. In waking life you have long blond hair, you scandinavian mofo...
TheCheeter: i stroke it with a comb
ravenconspiracy: The next day is bitterly cold. A strong wind from the west blows relentlessly as you steer your sledge towards the Hrod Basin. The snow clogs your eyes and your lips crack and bleed, but by midday you reach the edge of the basin. Irian and Dyce's sledge arrives at the ice wall first and they eagerly encourage you onwards.
TheCheeter: i head over to them
ravenconspiracy: Without any warning, a great crack appears between the two sledges, opening with a tremendous roar, until you are faced by a huge dark crevasse. Frantically you pull on the reins but it is too late to prevent your Kanu-dog team from disappearing into the void. Your sledge is left balancing on the edge of the crevasse, while the team of howling Kanu-dogs dangle helplessly in their harnesses below you. Very carefully, you risk a glance into the chasm. You see that the first two dogs have broken free and dropped over one-hundred-and-fifty feet to a ledge below. One of them appears to be dead. The other is badly injured and whimpers beside the still body of its comrade. Suddenly, a shudder jolts the sledge and you gasp with fright.
ravenconspiracy: You can either crawl to the back of the sledge or leap clear to of the sledge onto the cracked ice.
TheCheeter: i crawl to the back of the sledge
ravenconspiracy: You gingerly inch your way back to the rear of the sledge--but you hear the cracking of ice as the crevasse opens wider and wider. 'Jump!' shouts Fenor, as the sledge topples into the widening void.
You steady yourself to try to leap to safety but your left foot becomes entangled in the ropes and equipment!!!
TheCheeter: i cut the ropes with my sword!
ravenconspiracy: You unsheathe the golden sword and sever the ropes with one blow. Your foot is free, and you leap from the sledge barely seconds before it disappears into the crevasse. Quickly, Fenor runs to your side and pulls you away from the crumbling edge. You have lost your Kanu-dogs, your sledge and provisions, but not your life. You both jump the widening gap and join the others.
Despite the loss of equipment, your guides agree to continue the mission even though they know that the hardships will now be far greater. In the distance, you can see a narrow passage at the edge of the ice shelf where it joins the Hrod Basin. By nightfall, you have reached the shelter of this narrow pass and you decide to set up camp.
You make a check of the remaining food stores and realize that rations will have to be cut by half if you are all to reach Ikaya.
TheCheeter: i cut the rations in half with summerweld
ravenconspiracy: The next morning arrives bright and windless. The sun pierces the thin layer of cloud, bathing the east in a soft pink glow. This beautiful vision reminds you that your Kai masters once told you that the light of Kalte is unlike anywhere else in Magnamund. With tent and equipment packed, you leave the pass and venture out onto the Hrod Basin; one hundred miles of open ice now lie between you and Storm Giant Pass.
TheCheeter: can you believe this light? i say to one of my comrades
TheCheeter: we'll make it lets move on
ravenconspiracy: At first, the journey is easy. The Basin has been worn smooth by the wind and no crevasses lurk unseen beneath the hard, dense snow. But at dawn on the third day, events take a turn for the worse. You are awoken from a deep sleep by Dyce shaking your shoulder. He is frightened.
TheCheeter: whats wrong dyce whats wrong!?
ravenconspiracy: 'Ice Barbarians . . . on the horizon. Twenty, maybe more. Five wind sledges and a warrior escort. I think they've seen us.'
TheCheeter: if we could take them we could also take their wind sledges
TheCheeter: its just crazy enough to work
ravenconspiracy: In an instant, you have all climbed out of your sleeping furs and begun to pack away the tent. Dyce is correct, they are Ice Barbarians and they are heading towards you from the west. 'I'm sure there are too many of the. If they catch us, we're as good as dead,' says Fenor, as he ties the last of the equipment to the sledge.
The Ice Barbarians of Kalte are a fierce and war-like race of nomads. For thousands of years they have travelled this icy wasteland, trapping furs and herding mammoths. Their only contact with the rest of Magnamund is through the trading post of Ljuk. In summer, when the coast around Ljuk is free from ice, they journey there to trade their furs for weapons and tools, as there is no iron or wood in Kalte. They hate all except their own kind, and kill anyone they find who dares to trespass in their icy domain. You soon hear their war-cries less than three miles distant.
TheCheeter: let us flee!
TheCheeter: we'll all gather our trappings and double quick time
ravenconspiracy: You have covered less than a mile when the first of the Ice Barbarian scouts appear to the north on skis. At first, there are only two of the fearsome warriors, but they are soon joined by three others. They are large, muscular and bedecked with furs. Some of them wear bone armour. Despite their size, they glide across the snow with an almost feline grace and speed. Each of them has a pole attached to his back from which a small flag flutters.
ravenconspiracy: Suddenly, a bone-tipped arrow whistles past your knee and embeds itself in the sledge. An Ice Barbarian scout skis past to your right. He is less than ten yards away and you can clearly see his slanted eyes and sharp cheek-bones. You suddenly realize that what you had mistaken for muscle and fur is in fact an Ice Barbarian child. Each scout is carrying a large backpack containing a small child. These children are armed with small bone bows, and they fire a constant stream of arrows as their fathers ski nearer and nearer.
TheCheeter: holy frozen [nuts]
TheCheeter: dont hurt the boys let us flee
ravenconspiracy:
www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/03tcok/ill12.htmTheCheeter: d*&n
ravenconspiracy: Suddenly Irian falls, an arrow buried in his back. Dyce runs to his aid but is shot down before he has taken a dozen steps. Fenor is hit. An arrow passes straight through his throat. He bravely staggers on for nearly a minute before collapsing in the snow. You are on your own. An Ice Barbarian scout skis past to your left and returns towards you head on. He has a spear under one arm, which is levelled at your chest.
TheCheeter: i take out my spear and set for charge
ravenconspiracy: nice. Roll a die!
TheCheeter: 10
ravenconspiracy: Your spear has caused the Ice Barbarian scout to lose his balance. He tumbles in a flurry of snow and broken skis. The fur-clad child rolls clear of his father's backpack and lies face downwards in the snow, less, than ten feet away.
The Ice Barbarian scout is badly dazed by the fall, but is already attempting to stagger to his feet.
TheCheeter: i level the spear at his neck
TheCheeter: surrender
ravenconspiracy: You can sense that the Ice Barbarian child behind you has a bone dagger hidden in his boot. He is trying to reach you so that he can attack!
TheCheeter: i use the back of my spear and whack him in the face
ravenconspiracy: The child crumples to the ground. and you whirl back in time to get the spear tip to the throat of the warrior.
The Ice Barbarians have drawn themselves up into a circle around you, but they dare not attack while you are holding one of them as a hostage. Holding the spear to the warrior's throat, you slowly inch your way towards the sledge. You soon realize that you will never be able to outdistance them on a loaded sledge. You will have to think of something--and quickly.
TheCheeter: I challenge their leader to a duel! if I win they let me and my friends go, if they win they can kill us or enslave us and take our things
ravenconspiracy: They snicker as they look back at your already dead friends. They move in to kill you as soon as you back far enough away from your hostage.
TheCheeter: i take the hostage and his child
TheCheeter: back or hes dead!
ravenconspiracy: The child kicks and bites at your arm like a wild animal.
TheCheeter: mother f*&%er!
ravenconspiracy: You manage to hang on to the struggling child, and remove a bone dagger from his boot to prevent him stabbing you in the back.
TheCheeter: i get on the sledge and shove off the load
ravenconspiracy: Ok
TheCheeter: taking the child with me
ravenconspiracy: Throwing the boy onto the sledge, you grab the whip and lash the Kanu-dogs, driving them for everything they are worth. The Ice Barbarian scouts immediately give chase, shouting to the boy in their strange Kalte language.
TheCheeter: i knock him on the head to make him not conscious
ravenconspiracy: roll a die
TheCheeter: 5
ravenconspiracy: A couple of the Ice Barbarian scouts give chase, but your dog team is now much faster and you soon outdistance even their arrows.
TheCheeter: i lay the boy down on the sledge until we are a great distance then i briefly slow down and lay him down in the snow
ravenconspiracy: In the distance your Kai senses can see they boy's caln still pursues you.
TheCheeter: mush mush
ravenconspiracy: By nightfall, you reach the very edge of the Viad Mountains. These awesome granite mountains rise vertically out of the ice and snow; they will be impossible to cross on this cold and moonless night. A wind rising in the west heralds a night blizzard. You must find shelter or you will die of exposure.
ravenconspiracy: Your Kai Discipline reveals to you that there are a network of caves less than a couple of hundred yards to the south.
TheCheeter: i trust my discipline, its a good thing i spent a year underground during my kai training
TheCheeter: i stop to find the caves
ravenconspiracy: You have explored only a hundred yards of the rock-face when you discover a large fissure--the entrance to a cave. In your eagerness to escape from the bitter wind you quickly enter and, in the darkness, fail to notice the crevasse that divides this cave in two. In a tumble of ice and stone, you fall head first into the dark.
ravenconspiracy: You fall over thirty feet and land flat on your back in the snow-filled crevasse. You are surrounded by sharp stalagmites and jagged ice, but you have miraculously escaped death and injury. Shaken, but thankful to be alive, you stagger to your feet and grasp a crystal stalagmite for support. You slowly become aware that you can see your hands quite clearly. A faint light is seeping from a fissure to your left.
TheCheeter: i glance over to the light
ravenconspiracy: It appears to be a passage of some kind, whith a soft cold light emanating from it.
TheCheeter: i head toward the light
ravenconspiracy: After a few hundred yards, you find yourself in a huge cavern that spreads out in all directions as far as the eye can see. You have entered the caverns of Kalte and are now looking at an uncharted world that few Sommlending have ever seen. This massive underground labyrinth was constructed by the Ancients many ages before the Sommlending set foot in Magnamund. Its wide avenues, temples and arenas once echoed to the sounds of a race of creatures for whom the ice was a natural home. M'lare bowls still hang from the ceiling bathing the caverns in their eternal light.
TheCheeter: i marvel at these new sites and explore
ravenconspiracy: You wander steadily northwards for nearly six hours, until you arrive at the bank of a fast-flowing melt-water river. On the opposite bank, you see a tunnel leading off into the distance. You can find no apparent way of crossing the deep water, except by using the ice-floes bobbing up and down on the surface. By jumping from one floe to the next, you could get to the opposite bank, but it will not be easy. You will have to jump at least three of the icy slabs to reach the other side.
TheCheeter: i will jump
ravenconspiracy: roll a die
TheCheeter: 8
ravenconspiracy: With three carefully timed jumps you make it safely to the other side.
TheCheeter: excellent
ravenconspiracy: Making for the tunnel entrance, you quickly leave the icy river far behind. You follow the tunnel for countless hours as it bends its way northwards. It becomes impossible to recall what hour of the day it is; the perpetual half-light of these caverns never changes. Through fissures in the wall of the tunnel, you catch glimpses of other chambers, and you marvel at the sheer scale of the labyrinth.
TheCheeter: i take out the map and try and keep track of map directions and where i'm at
ravenconspiracy: You are sure you are heading north, towards your goal, but are not sure exactly where you are. You are exausted from trekking so far. Your excape fromt he ice barbarians, your crossing the river, and trekking through the caverns has left you in great nead of food and rest.
TheCheeter: i look in our rations pack is there any rest?
ravenconspiracy: You have 1 meal of rations left.
TheCheeter: i eat a tiny morsel
TheCheeter: and then head to bed
ravenconspiracy: You are nearly asleep on your feet when you suddenly detect the aroma of cooked meat. It is coming from a chamber just a few yards ahead to your right.
TheCheeter: i cautiously sneak towards the chamber
ravenconspiracy: You can see two men in ragged clothes, huddled together beside a fire that seems to be burning inside a small metal bowl. Over the flames, the skinned carcass of a small animal is roasting on a spit. The men are old and toothless, and they have a strange glint of madness in their slanted eyes.
TheCheeter: i reveal myself
TheCheeter: hello old men of the mysterious cavern
ravenconspiracy:
www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/03tcok/ill1.htmTheCheeter: i am legit, my name is lone wolf
ravenconspiracy: On seeing you enter, the two old men jump to their feet and flee from the chamber along a smaller passageway. Their screams of panic echo loudly throughout the caverns.
TheCheeter: i sample their wonderful meat and sit by their fire
ravenconspiracy: You are very hungry and quickly consume the cooked animal, pausing only to spit out the bones. You then notice that the fire is burning in a strange, half-spherical metal bowl. The other half of the sphere lies on the icy floor nearby and you find that both halves fit together perfectly. When you open it, you discover that the fire still burns inside.
TheCheeter: i cover the fire
TheCheeter: and wonder how it works but stow it away to keep me warm forever
ravenconspiracy: You continue along the tunnel for over a mile, but you soon become tired and stop to sleep. You awake feeling refreshed, but have no idea just how long you have been sleeping--the light of these caverns never changes, be it day or night.
TheCheeter: I use my never ending fire bowl for warmth
TheCheeter: and continue on
ravenconspiracy: You continue onwards, mile after mile, passing through a series of huge ice halls containing towering pillars of crystal. In one vast chamber, you are mesmerized by the beautiful sight of a shimmering crystal ceiling. But beyond this chamber lies an even greater spectacle. A narrow passage leads on to a ledge running around the brink of a huge chasm, over half a mile wide. As you edge your way around this awesome void, you try not to look down into its wind swept depths, many miles below.
TheCheeter: i use my kai discipline to try not to look down wondering how those old men survived doing this
ravenconspiracy: You have been on the ledge for only a few minutes when a noise behind you makes you glance back. To your horror, you see you are being followed by a monstrous, two-headed serpent!!!
TheCheeter: arggh i try and speed my way to the end of the passage
ravenconspiracy: You recognize the serpent to be a Javek, a two-headed and deadly poisonous ice snake. As it slithers nearer, you can clearly see the open jaw of the second head and the yellow, curved fangs dripping with venom. It moves very quickly and you know that you will not be able to outrun it along this narrow ledge.
TheCheeter: i take out my sword and prepare for battle
ravenconspiracy: You know that it is extremely venomous, a single drop will be fatal.
ravenconspiracy:
www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/03tcok/ill6.htmravenconspiracy: Do you still wish to do battle?
ravenconspiracy: Of course fleeing isn't really and option either...
TheCheeter: sry paus
TheCheeter: k back
ravenconspiracy: alright!
TheCheeter: i turn to face the serpent and slide underneath its belly on my back using the ice to help me slide taking out my sword to slice laterally his belly spillhing his snake guts
ravenconspiracy: roll an attack roll!
TheCheeter: 3
ravenconspiracy: Your slice is not as deep as you would like, but you avoid getting bit as the serpent crushes and scrapes you with it's snake belly.
ravenconspiracy: roll again
TheCheeter: 3
ravenconspiracy: You suffer more scrapes but manage to sever both serpent heads and cast the creature into the abyss.
ravenconspiracy: we'll ahv eto stop here.
TheCheeter: OK
ravenconspiracy: untill next time lone cheet
TheCheeter: next time