[LUPO SOLITARIO] Libro XIX: Wolf's Bane

[Bortas]

Ci vorrebbe la musichetta della "storia infinita", btw veniamo da sud, quindi west=sinistra... 235

[Kaluisurrr]

go east

[Lupoazzurro]

West!!

[Jesper]

Sinistra!

The tunnel zigzags to the left and right for several hundred yards before it widens at the entrance to a long, low-ceilinged hall. The slabs of stone which have so far paved the tunnel end abruptly at the entrance to this chamber. The floor here appears to be made of a gritty brown soil that gives off a pungent, earthy aroma. You scan its surface but you can see no tracks—it looks perfectly smooth.

If you possess Kai-alchemy, turn to 164.

If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline, turn to 48.

L'abbiamo!

Wary of the uncertain floor of this hall, you utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell Levitation and feel yourself rising slowly to the ceiling. Using the gaps between the bricks in the arched roof, you pull yourself along the ceiling until you reach the far end of the hall. Fortunately, the door is unlocked and you are able to open it with your foot and lower yourself safely through its archway and into the hall beyond.

Turn to 62.

The moment you negate your spell of Levitation spell and set foot upon firm ground, you feel a warm breeze. You sense that it comes from a stairwell at the far end of this new hall and, when you investigate it, you rediscover Wolf’s Bane’s footprints on the stone steps. You cast your hands over them and detect that this is not a false trail: your enemy passed this way sometime within the last hour.

Slowly you ascend the stairs and arrive at the arched entrance to a large, vaulted stone chamber. Gathered around a fountain set into its north wall are a group of six grey-skinned humanoids. They are busy drinking a clear, oily fluid that pours from the fountain’s spout into a semicircular trough. All are barefoot and clad in rags, and they are each armed with a spear and a bow. The only exit from this chamber appears to be an archway set high in the north wall. There is a balcony in front of it that can only be reached by two flights of stairs which rise up on either side of the fountain.

Quietly you observe the creatures slaking their thirsts, and you try to formulate a way in which you can get past them and reach the balconied exit in the north wall.

If you possess a Bow, the Discipline of Magi-magic with the rank of Kai Grand Guardian, and wish to use them turn to 138.

If you possess Kai-alchemy with the rank of Grand Crown and wish to use it, turn to 26.

If you do not possess these skills or a Bow, or if you have yet to attain the required levels of Kai Mastery, turn to 121.

Cosa vogliamo usare?

[Bortas]

Arcodiddio con freccia megasupermaggicaaaaaa!!! 138

[Rise-the-Sky]

Prima ha voluto fare il furbo lui con l'arco..ora è il nostro turno.

[Jesper]

Sfrecciam!

You detect that the fluid which the creatures are drinking from the fountain is highly flammable. Armed with this knowledge, you place an Arrow to your Bow and take aim at the stone trough. Moments before you release your bowstring, you utter the words of the Old Kingdom Battle-spell Flameshaft and the tip of your missile flares brightly with a crackling magical flame. You launch the Arrow and watch as it arcs into the trough. With a deafening wumph! the liquid ignites to form a blazing fireball which greedily consumes the creatures gathered around the lip of the trough.

Turn to 204.

wumph!

You feel a searing wave of heat wash over your body as the fireball reaches its peak and then rapidly dies to form a sputtering flame which clings to the mouth of the fountain. None of the creatures have survived the conflagration and you are able to cross the hall and ascend the stairs to the balconied archway without meeting any resistance.

To continue, turn to 50.

You have covered twenty yards of a passageway that extends from the balcony when you hear a grating noise. It is a concealed portal, and it is sliding shut to seal off the hall through which you have just passed.

Ahead lies a chamber which is bedecked with a score of lavish tapestries, each depicting the landscapes of remote and wondrous planets within the universe of Aon. Your adversary’s tracks pass through this opulent chamber and end at a pair of stout wooden doors, inlaid with exquisite gold marquetry. You place your ear to one of the doors and concentrate. The only sound you can hear is the crackle of a log fire, but your Kai senses detect the presence of your adversary in the room beyond. You peer through a keyhole and glimpse part of a gallery with a railed parapet. The wooden rails are lit from below by the warming yellow flicker of a fire.

You reach out to open the doors and confront your enemy, but a strong sense of unease stays your hand. It feels as if a swarm of butterflies are fighting to escape from your churning stomach. You have a chilling premonition that a confrontation with Wolf’s Bane in the room beyond could prove fatal for both of you. This fear prompts you to pray to the Gods Kai and Ishir to sustain and protect you in the coming fight.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 104.

If it is 5–9, turn to 216.

Roll...8!

In response to your prayer, you feel a warm and glowing sensation deep within your chest. This feeling grows and then pulses through your body and your mind, leaving you physically and mentally refreshed and alert: restore 8 ENDURANCE points.

Confident that the divine Gods of Good are watching over you in your moment of truth, you throw open the doors and stride boldly into the hall beyond.

Turn to 240.

Sticazzi, poterla usare in altri punti sta cosa no, eh?

The doors swing open onto a gallery which encircles three sides of a large banquet hall. Below, through the wooden spindles of the gallery’s parapet rail, you can see the hall itself. Tapestries drape the walls and a blazing fire crackles in a great stone fireplace that occupies much of the north wall. Your adversary is sitting alone in a throne-like chair at the head of a long banqueting table. A plain, oblong-shaped wooden case lies closed on the table before him.

‘Welcome, Lone Wolf—so glad you could join me,’ he says, his voice oozing sarcasm as he gets to his feet and tilts his head condescendingly towards the gallery. You see his right hand move below the edge of the table and, moments later, you hear the double doors swing shut and lock behind you. Anxiously you cast your eyes around the hall, searching out his hidden accomplices.

‘We’re alone,’ snaps Wolf’s Bane. He raises a hand and beckons you to descend the gallery stairs to the hall below. ‘The time has come, Lone Wolf. Our jaunt across Avaros has been leading to this moment of truth.’

Illustration XIV—‘We’re alone,’ snaps Wolf’s Bane. ‘The time has come, Lone Wolf.’

Wolf’s Bane reaches out to the slim case that is laid on the table before him and he flips open its lid. Inside you see two thin-bladed duelling rapiers couched on a velvet liner.

‘We two are as equally matched as these fine blades,’ he says, in a voice as syrupy as rancid molasses. ‘Come, Lone Wolf. I challenge you to duel honourably. Come and choose your weapon and let fate decide who of us will triumph this day.’

You magnify your vision and scrutinize the open case. Your senses confirm that these swords are finely crafted blades. They are not booby-trapped, nor are they magically cursed in any way.

If you choose to accept Wolf’s Bane’s challenge to a duel to the death using these swords, turn to 304.

If you choose to decline his challenge, turn to 85.

Mmmmm...a voi la parola!

[Bortas]

Queste due spade sono uguali fidati ed io sono uno che ispira fiducia, prendi, questa è di plastica io tengo quella di ferro, fidersi di wolfbane è sicuramente la via giusta per finie il libro...
Per me che si fotta 85

[Rise-the-Sky]

Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

Prendiamo la spada da duello e prendiamo a calci un culo sto coglione.

[Sturm]

Accettiamo il duello! 304

[Lupoazzurro]

Si si, certo che accettiamo, come no.

"Guadda ma cetto vengo li e piglio la spadina"

Ops....mi è scappata fuori dal fodero la sommerswerd....

Affettiamo sto cojone con il nostro fidato spadone, altro che duello. 85

[Kaluisurrr]

duello all'ultimo sangue

[Jesper]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJoM7V54T-c

Alla pugna!

Slowly you descend the stairs and approach the banqueting table. Wolf’s Bane slides the open case towards you and motions for you to take a weapon. You reach for the box and remove the uppermost rapier, and then you slide the case back across the table to your opponent.

‘Very well,’ he says, as he takes the sword and makes a few strokes to gauge its balance, ‘let the duel begin.’

The Duel: Lone Wolf vs. Wolf’s Bane

The Combat Ratio for the duel is −4. This ratio takes account of all bonuses which may apply (e.g. Grand Weaponmastery with Sword, psychic attacks, and Special Items). Wolf’s Bane’s ENDURANCE score is identical to your current ENDURANCE score, unless you possess a Bronze Disc. If you possess this Special Item, you may reduce your enemy’s ENDURANCE by 4 points before the commencement of combat.

Conduct the combat using the normal combat procedure. However, should Wolf’s Bane’s ENDURANCE be reduced to 10 or less, do not continue any further with the fight. Instead, turn immediately to 151.

Ok, il caso è destino di questo combattimento Infatti WB e LW si equivalgono in EP, e -4 è il Combat Rating in cui la distribuzione dei danni è in equilibrio tra LW e il suo avversario. Detto questo, abbiamo ancora Ignore Pain da spararci, e cambiamo paragrafo quando WB arriva a 10 o meno. Ciò detto...si mena!

Roll...5
Lupo Solitario -4 (46)
Wolf's Bane -5 (45)

Roll...9
Lupo Solitario -0 (46)
Wolf's Bane -9 (36)

Roll...0
Lupo Solitario -0 (46)
Wolf's Bane -10 (26)

Roll...2
Lupo Solitario -5 (41)
Wolf's Bane -2 (24)

Roll...4
Lupo Solitario -4 (37)
Wolf's Bane -4 (20)

Roll...6
Lupo Solitario -3 (34)
Wolf's Bane -6 (14)

Roll...4
Lupo Solitario -4 (30)
Wolf's Bane -4 (10)

Wolf’s Bane staggers backwards, clutching at his wounds with his free hand. You move forward, eager to finish him, but he parries your lunge and then, with a look of utter desperation in his soulless eyes, he glances up at the ceiling and shouts:

‘Take him, Doom-blight! Take him now!’

Your blood freezes when you see a great gull-winged horror emerge from a hidden perch among the hall’s shadowy rafters. It plunges towards you, a fiery sword held at arm’s length ready to be driven through your heart.

If you have ever encountered the Demoness Shamath in a previous Lone Wolf adventure, turn to 263.

If you have never encountered this creature, turn to 74.

Maledetto!

The creature that is diving towards you suddenly freezes in mid-air. The morbid fear of death that had gripped your heart quickly evaporates, but you are left with a feeling of deep unease as your Kai senses detect that something extraordinary is taking place around you. The hall has become filled with a deadly silence and everything, including the tongues of flame trailing from the creature’s sword, and the blazing fire in the grate, is utterly frozen. It is as if time itself is standing still.

Wolf’s Bane is a frozen statue, his face fixed in the malevolent sneer he was wearing in gleeful anticipation that you were about to meet your doom. You are beginning to think that perhaps you have been killed and that this is life after death, when suddenly you glimpse a blurred movement at the corner of your eye.

From out of the shadows cast by the gallery steps a young teenage girl, dressed in a leather jerkin and threadbare trousers. You recognize her at once—it is Alyss, the strange enigmatic creature who helped you once before, during your confrontation with the Demoness Shamath.

‘Wh…what are you doing here?’ you stammer. Casually she walks towards you and reaches up to touch a finger to the frozen fiery sword clutched in the taloned hands of Wolf’s Bane’s winged minion.

‘Why, doing what I like doing best,’ she replies, airily, ‘minding other people’s business.’

She prods the frozen sword with the tip of her finger and there is a gentle Pop! Instantly the creature disappears.

‘I do hate cheats,’ she says, as she wanders over to where Wolf’s Bane is standing immobile. Cheekily she pokes out her tongue at him and then she spins on her heel to face you.

‘Now, perhaps you can finish what you came here to do, Lone Wolf,’ she says, and claps her hands three times. A sudden rush of noise assails your ears and your senses reel as the reality of time comes flooding back into the hall.

Turn to 296.

A wild a plot device appears!

It's super effective!

The triumphant sneer dies on Wolf’s Bane’s face the instant he realizes that his winged minion has disappeared and that you are still alive. He recoils, his mouth gaping and his eyes wide with disbelief. As he retreats, he brushes against Alyss and utters a yelp of fright. His abject fear, however, soon transforms into blind fury.

‘You!’ he cries, accusingly. Fuelled by rage, he raises his sword in readiness to slash at her face. You rush forward and block his vicious blow; then you twist the blade from his grasp and, with one swift thrust, you skewer his heart upon the tip of your rapier.

Wolf’s Bane regards the blade protruding from his chest with a look of utter astonishment. Then, with a curse on his blood-flecked lips, he drops to his knees and crumples lifelessly to the floor.

Turn to 40.

Meno male che almeno WB sa chi è sta tipa <.< Non che questo gli abbia fatto molto bene...

You step away from the body of your enemy and allow yourself a smile of grim satisfaction that you have, at last, rid Aon of this evil intruder.

‘Hurry, Lone Wolf,’ says Alyss, impatiently. ‘Naar is vengeful. He will soon be wanting to know how his champion is faring. If he finds him slain, we will both feel his wrath.’

‘Then we must escape from here,’ you reply. ‘But how? Do you know of a way?’

‘Mmm…maybe,’ she replies, narrowing her green eyes. ‘Yes…I’ve got a plan.’

If you possess the Discipline of Kai-screen and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Crown, turn to 280.

If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 98.

Yes!

‘Come, Grand Master. You’re going home,’ she says, and she takes you by the hand and leads you to the middle of the banquet hall, to a place directly opposite the great fireplace. ‘But first we must make preparations for the journey.’

Alyss then proceeds to tell you to use your advanced Kai Mastery to mask the goodly aura that radiates naturally from your mind and body. When you have done as she requests, she touches the Platinum Amulet which you wear around your neck and smiles.

‘Good, good,’ she enthuses, ‘this bauble will take care of the rest.’

She then takes a piece of limestone from her pocket and proceeds to draw a pentagram on the floor of the hall. She has half completed the complicated design when suddenly she becomes agitated.

‘Must hurry,’ she mumbles, ‘must, must hurry.’

Suddenly the fire in the hearth flares brightly. The flames begin to grow and whirl and slowly change colour.

‘It’s no good!’ cries Alyss, tearful with frustration. Angrily she casts her chunk of crumbling limestone at the roaring flames and then leaps to her feet and comes rushing to your side. ‘It’s too late!’ she screams, her voice now barely audible above the unnatural crackling of the fire. ‘Naar is summoning his champion!’

Illustration XVI—‘It’s too late!’ screams Alyss. ‘Naar is summoning his champion!’

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 273.

If it is 5–9, turn to 67.

Ma non era WB il campione di Naar?!?

Roll...7

You feel your throat tightening and your lungs collapsing as the air is sucked out of the chamber. The whirling flames of the fire have rapidly transformed into a raging vortex which is dragging into its core every loose item in the banquet hall. You and Alyss hang on to the banister rail affixed to the gallery stairs, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain your grip. Chairs, tapestries, tables, and other furniture batter you as they tumble past to be sucked into the vortex (lose 4 ENDURANCE points). Then the rail collapses and the two of you are drawn into the raging heart of this fearsome whirlpool.

Turn to 170.

FKUC

For what seems like an eternity, you plummet into the swirling heart of a supernatural vortex. Brilliant sparks and flashes of colour illuminate this funnel of darkness as items of furniture from the banquet hall explode and disintegrate, unable to withstand the extraordinary pressures generated by this cosmic whirlpool. You watch with shock and awe as the lifeless body of your adversary—Wolf’s Bane—is transformed into a fiery meteor before your very eyes. Then, gradually, the spin of the vortex becomes less fierce and you feel the centripetal pull on your body easing. Beams of light penetrate the darkness and you see Alyss glide into view. She appears to be reclining, as if casually resting upon a couch after a weary day’s work, and her expression is mildly pensive. She looks as if to her this whole terrifying journey is nothing more than an irritating inconvenience.

At last the vortex slows to a standstill and you feel ground solidifying beneath your feet. But the darkness gives way to a swirling mist which dissolves to reveal a horrifying sight. A deep and morbid terror returns to twist its knife in your guts when you suddenly realize where you are. You have been summoned to the throne hall of Naar—the seat of power of the King of the Darkness—the inner sanctum of ultimate Evil.

Turn to 331.

Evviva!

Before you lies a smoke-filled hall that reeks of death and decay. Only the floor appears to be solid, and yet when you stare down at its glassy surface, you see that it is honeycombed with thousands of cells, each one occupied by a tortured soul writhing in perpetual torment. The walls of this evil chamber are wreathed with sulphurous smoke, lit intermittently by shafts of crimson lightning. The foul substances which pass for air seethe with the tension of ferocious, evil energies.

From the centre of the floor there arises a slender domed plinth. Moments later, a wide dais rises beside it, upon which you see a visage of the Dark God, one that he favours whilst occupying his unholy throne hall. Nothing could have prepared you for the sight that now meets your gaze—it is the foulest you have ever seen.

Naar’s favoured form is a great globular body, like that of a bloated spider, borne by a score of stunted limbs which emerge chaotically from the underside of a sac-like abdomen. His face hangs like a parody of a wrinkled old sow’s yet with an evil-smelling black hole where one could expect a snout. The upper surface of his body is covered with pouches of vile fluids that trail wisps of black smoke, and his maw is studded with hundreds of blue-stained fangs. But it is the eyes that shock you most. The Dark God has the eyes of a man.

Illustration XIX—Before you is Naar, the foulest thing you have ever seen.

Naar shifts his bloated body from the dais and slither-shuffles towards the plinth. A misshapen limb extends to the plinth and its domed cover retracts to reveal a wondrous and mysterious artefact. A second shock stuns your senses when you recognize the nature of this artefact. It is one of the most legendary items in all the long history of Magnamund. It is the fabled Moonstone of the Shianti!

Turn to 112.

Siamo davanti a Naar e la cosa che ci stupisce di più è un sasso <.<

The fabled Moonstone was created many thousands of years ago by the god-like Shianti, whose presence upon Magnamund heralded the dawn of humanity. This wondrous artefact contains the combined might of all their magic and wisdom, the sum of all their knowledge. So significant was the creation of this artefact that all time on Magnamund is measured from the date of its creation. It had long been held that the Moonstone’s location was a secret known only to the remnants of the Shianti, who dwell upon the Isle of Lorn in deepest Southern Magnamund, yet the evidence of your eyes tells you that this mystical stone of power has fallen into the hands of the Dark God.

Suddenly the significance of the Moonstone becomes clear. Naar is using its legendary powers to generate Shadow Gates within the world of Magnamund, at locations and times of his own choosing. Such power has enabled him to send his loathsome champions to your home world, while the goodly forces of Kai and Ishir are held at bay, helpless to counter them. Only you and your Kai brethren have stood in the way of the onslaught of Naar’s agents since the demise of his Darklords.

The hideous form of the Dark God returns to the dais and settles there uneasily. Then a deep rumble fills the throne hall; it is the prelude to the voice of Naar.

‘You have done well, my champion,’ it booms. ‘Now I command you to return to accursed Sommerlund and finish my work. Prepare the way for my armies of night. At last this planet is mine for the taking. My victory is complete!’

It is clear from his words that Naar is convinced that you are his champion—Wolf’s Bane—freshly returned from a duel in which Evil has triumphed. Suddenly you see Alyss emerge from the smoky wall less than a dozen paces behind Naar, yet the Dark God appears unaware of her presence. She appears calm and focused, and you sense that she is waiting for an auspicious moment to approach the plinth and take the Moonstone. With bated breath you watch as she inches closer and closer to the legendary stone. Then Naar shifts his gruesome bulk and she freezes.

‘You will not return to Sommerlund alone, Wolf’s Bane. Kekataag the Avenger will accompany you. He has a mission of assassination to complete in Toran, at the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star.’

Then the Dark God emits a high-pitched whistle and, moments later, a fearsome warrior answers the call. He emerges from the smoky wall and the floor shudders as he strides to the centre of the throne hall.

If you possess Kai-screen, turn to 183.

If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline, turn to 34.

Ce l'abbiamo!

Kekataag the Avenger is attired in battle-armour that glimmers like slime-dulled gold. Beneath his helmet there is a hollow skull-face from which emerges a sickly stench that permeates even the foul air of this hall. The skulls and bones of humans bedeck his armoured hide and in his mighty hands he carries a great two-handed axe, its blade stained black with the blood of his countless victims.

This fearsome warrior holds you with his glowing eyes and you feel waves of powerful psychic energy buffet your mind. Your advanced Kai defences repel this attack, but you are left in no doubt that he is deeply jealous of your supposed defeat of Lone Wolf.

Turn to 255.

KAKKATAG!

Naar moves from the dais and commands Kekataag to cease his psychic assault. The murderous leviathan complies at once with his fell master’s wishes. For the first time since he strode into this throne hall, Kekataag turns to face Naar. His intent is to bow his huge form in dutiful deference to his master’s authority, but this formality is soon forgotten when his psychic powers detect the presence of Alyss. The realization that she is here makes the warrior bellow with supernatural rage. The deafening sound galvanizes Alyss into action; she leaps towards the plinth and places both of her hands upon the surface of the Moonstone. Instantly a whirling hole appears in the smoky wall of the throne hall; it is the unmistakable mouth of a Shadow Gate.

‘Flee, Lone Wolf,’ she cries. ‘Flee to your homeland before it’s too late!’

Bravely she stands her ground, her hands clasped upon the glowing Moonstone, as Kekataag and Naar advance upon her from two sides. You are deeply moved by the courage of this enigmatic being; it seems she is prepared to sacrifice her immortality that you might escape alive from this terrible place.

If you wish to obey her command and enter the whirling Shadow Gate, turn to 282.

If you choose to stay and fight the Dark God and his evil avenger, turn to 343.

Che si fa ??

[Rise-the-Sky]

Se LW fosse affetto dal terribile morbo del White Knight e se considerasse Alyss una fanciulla in difficoltà allora sicuramente si butterebbe a testa bassa contro un Dio.

Ma siccome LW non ha mai giocato a un MMORPG (principale veicolo di diffusione del WK virus) , ritiene Alyss una scassacazzo, ne ha le palle piene di combattere in dimensioni oscure e soprattutto sa che questo non è l'ultimo libro quindi non può ragionevolmente vincere contro il main antagonist... decide di salutare tutti e buttarsi nel portale.

[Bortas]

Scegliete e perite, scegliete la forma del distruggitore di Gozer...

In questo caso è passato vari capitoli abbiamo pf, ignore pain, laspadadiddio, direi che una morte di merda contro il dio del male ce la possiamo permettere... 343 a cazzo duro.