[LUPO SOLITARIO] Libro XV: The Darke Crusade

[Bortas]

Andiamo al villaggio, l'acqua ci è ostile, nell'acqua la deathaura funge meglio, però nel villaggio si loota, poi magari si mena... 248

[Sturm]

Verso il loot sempre e comunque! Radiamo al suolo il villaggio!!

[Defender]

Più lontano siamo dall'acqua e meglio è!

Villaggio, here we come!

[Jesper]

Via dall'acqua!

The order goes out to advance quickly towards the distant hamlet. But you have covered barely a quarter of a mile when you see enemy horsemen fast approaching from the north. Mindful of the danger of being caught out here in the open, Baron Maquin orders his mercenaries to form into a square in readiness to repel a cavalry attack. Captain Schera issues the same order to his men, and together they create a square that is bristling with spears.

The cavalry thunder towards you, undaunted by the sight of this porcupine-like defence. The first wave of Drakkarim cavalry slams against the square and is repulsed with heavy losses; then a second line hits home and it, too, fails to break through. The wounded are dragged to the centre of the square and the ranks close in readiness to face the next charge. Twice the Drakkarim have been repulsed but they are a determined enemy and they are getting ready to attack again. This time the charge is led by armoured Zagganozod, on warhorses that are sheathed with plates of bronze. Their armour—and the sheer weight of their attack—smashes a corner of the square and, in a terrible moment of carnage and chaos, several enemy horsemen break into the middle of the square and trample the helpless wounded.

Illustration XIII—The charge is led by armoured Zagganozod on warhorses that are sheathed with plates of bronze.

You rush to help them but, in the heat of the battle, you are knocked down by a riderless horse. Before you can get to your feet you are attacked simultaneously by two enemy lancers, who are maniacally determined to pin you to the ground with their lances.

2 Zagganozod Lancers: COMBAT SKILL 37 ENDURANCE 45

If you win this combat, turn to 95.

COMBAT RATING: +8 (con Mindblast)

Roll...1
Lupo Solitario -4 (38)
2 Zagganozod Lancers -7 (38)

Roll...8
Lupo Solitario -0 (38)
2 Zagganozod Lancers -16 (22)

Roll...8
Lupo Solitario -0 (38)
2 Zagganozod Lancers -16 (6)

Roll...9
Lupo Solitario -0 (38)
2 Zagganozod Lancers -18 (morti!)

Inspired by your victory, the Lencians and their League-land allies repel the remaining Zagganozod and close their ranks until the square is intact once more. The enemy are now exhausted and wearily they retreat across the plain with the stinging cheers of their foes echoing in their ears.

Then an ominous noise comes rolling across the plain from the city of Darke, a thunderous boom that shakes the very ground on which you stand. You look towards the city and see that the battle is growing ever fiercer. But now there is a new and sinister aspect. Flickerings of magical fire can be seen dancing along battlements, engulfing friend and foe alike. You sense that it is the work of Magnaarn; he and his Nadziranim allies are responsible for this.

Then, through the smoke of battle, you see a Lencian flag flying proudly amidst the carnage that is taking place on the coastal plain to the south of the city. Here, King Sarnac’s crusaders have turned an enemy flank and are storming its weakened centre. Maquin and Schera see the flag and, encouraged by the cheers of their own men, they decide to march at once in support of the crusaders’ brave attack.

You wish them both good fortune, for you know the time has come to part company with these brave men. Their destiny awaits them on the field of battle; yours will be found inside the city of Darke itself where, if you are to fulfil your quest, you must confront Warlord Magnaarn.

You bid them farewell and watch as they lead their men in a marching column across the plain towards the distant field of battle. When they are a mile away, you set off alone towards the hamlet, which lies en route to the gates of Darke.

Turn to 154.

Maquin e Schera si sono allontanati da noi ancora vivi! E nel mezzo di una guerra! La nostra Death Aura si è gravemente indebolita

You reach the hamlet and hurry along its solitary road. Flanking you are two rows of low cottages, their thick-thatched roofs still intact despite the fiery carnage that has swept so near. Off to the right you see a barn-like building standing with its door ajar. A brazier of coals, an anvil, and a scattering of iron strips prove it to have once been a busy smithy. But now, like the surrounding buildings, it is seemingly deserted.

Illustration IX—A Lencian Crusader rushes out into the road brandishing a heavy steel mace in his left hand.

You are passing the open door when suddenly you hear a man’s voice. He has a strong Lencian accent and he is cursing you, thinking you to be a turncoat Stornland mercenary. As you turn to face the smithy door, a Lencian Crusader comes rushing out into the road, brandishing a heavy steel mace in his left hand. You yell at him that you are loyal to King Sarnac, but he ignores your plea and swings his weapon wildly at your head.

Lencian Crusader: COMBAT SKILL 34 ENDURANCE 36

Throughout this combat you are attempting to strike a blow that will render the knight unconscious. Fight this combat using the normal combat procedure.

If you manage to reduce the knight’s ENDURANCE to zero or below, turn to 272.

Ma lol

COMBAT RATING: +13 (con Mindblast)

Roll...4
Lupo Solitario -2 (37)
Lencian Crusader -12 (24)

Roll...0
Lupo Solitario -0 (37)
Lencian Crusader SODOMIZZATO!

The misguided knight falls unconscious at your feet. Before he recovers, you take to your heels and continue on across the plain which leads inexorably towards the gates of Darke.

As you approach the city, the din of battle fills your ears. The shouts of angry men, the neighs of galloping steeds, the clang of riven steel, and the terrible screams of the slain buffet you remorselessly. Then, all of a sudden, you are plunged into the battle and to survive you are forced to cleave your way through a seemingly endless wall of enemy troops. It is as if they are gladly willing to sacrifice themselves in order to prevent you from reaching the apex of the slope that ascends to the shattered gates of the city. Undeterred, you forge a bloody path through this Drakkarim horde, wielding your weapon with deadly precision, every blow claiming an enemy soul. It is not until you are standing upon the very threshold of the gates that you encounter more formidable defenders. The breached gates are being held by a trio of blood-spattered Tukodak. They are in a state of battle-frenzy which you sense has been magically induced. Wild-eyed with savage bloodlust, they scream maniacally as they rush at you with their bloodied blades.

Illustration XV—The breached gates are held by a trio of blood-spattered Tukodak who rush at you with their bloodied blades.

‘For Sommerlund!’ you cry, as you steel yourself to meet their attack.

3 Tukodak Guardians (in battle-frenzy): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 44

If you win this combat, turn to 125.

E che cazzo

Ok, i 3 tizi in posa sono abbastanza crugni. Con Mindblast abbiamo +1 di COMBAT RATING; con Kai-Surge, abbiamo +5. Cosa volete che usi ?

************************************************** ***********************
Lupo Solitario, Sun Knight

CS: 41 (+8 Sommerswerd, +2 Silver Helm, +4 Weaponmastery, +5 Circoli Magnakai, +2 Silver Bracers, +3 Kagonite Chainmail, +2 Levelup)
--> 45 (con +4 Mindblast)
--> 49 (con +8 Kai-Surge)

EP: 37/42 (+1 Kagonite Chainmail, +11 Circoli Magnakai, +1 Silver Bracers, +4 Levelup)

Discipline Grand Master
- Grand Huntmastery
- Grand Pathmanship
- Kai-Alchemy
- Kai-Surge
- Kai-Screen
- Magi-Magic

Weapons (2): Dagger, Scarlet Warrior's Sword

Backpack (8): Rope, Adgana (LA DROGGA +6CS, su roll di 0 o 1 diventiamo dipendenti e perdiamo 4 EP permanentemente), Signet Ring, Brass Key, Alether (+2 CS), Meal, Meal, Wine

Special Items (12): Sommerswerd!, Silver Bow of Duadon, Silver Helm (+2 CS), Silver Bracers (+ 2CS, +1 EP), Quiver (6), Kagonite Vest (+3 CS +1 EP), Helshezag (+5 CS, +7CS vs Darklords; al secondo round riduce permanentemente gli EP di 1), Statuette of Zagarna, Green Key, Silver Rod, Jadin Amulet (+1 ai Roll per evitare proiettili normali)
[Non occupano spazio]: Korlinium Scabbard, Map of Mogaruith

Money (50): 37 Corone, 60 Kika (10=1C), 20 Lune (4=1C)


MORTOMETRO: XII
- Istakillato dall'esca+party hiddato (Libro I)
- Caduto in una trappola da caccia Giak (Libro I)
- Inchiappato nel sonno da un agente dei Darklords (Libro II)
- Fatto Bunjee Jumping senza l'elastico insieme ad un Helghast (Libro II)
- Vittime di una Cantina (Libro IV)
- Tentacle-raped (Libro VII)
- Sparati da un Nano storpio (Libro VIII)
- 1v1 con lo Zakhan Kimah (Libro IX)
- 1v100 con il Baron Shinzar (Libro X)
- Caduti durante la scalata ad Haagadar (Libro XI)
- 1v1 con Vonotar all'ultimissimo sangue (Libro XI)
- Sparati da un vecchio storpio (Libro XV)
************************************************** ******

[Bortas]

Kaisurgeliamo

[Defender]

3 vs 1 con dei pazzi maniaci assetati di sangue?

challenge accepted!

Spariamogli in faccia tutto il nostro Kai-surge

[Sturm]

Kai-surge abbestia,apriamo in due queste lattine!

[Jesper]

Kai-Surgiamo!

3 Tukodak Guardians (in battle-frenzy): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 44

COMBAT RATING +5 (con Kai-Surge)

Roll...8
Lupo Solitario -0 (-1)(36)
3 Tukodak Guardians -14 (30)

Roll...7
Lupo Solitario -0 (-1)(35)
3 Tukodak Guardians -12 (18)

Roll...4
Lupo Solitario -2 (-1)(33)
3 Tukodak Guardians -9 (9)

Roll...3
Lupo Solitario -3 (-1)(29)
3 Tukodak Guardians -8 (1)

Roll...1
Lupo Solitario -4 (-1)(25)
3 Tukodak Guardians -6 (morti!)

Ok, siamo andati un po' in calando lol

You clamber over the bodies that are heaped chest-high around the shattered city gates; then you begin to fight your way steadily towards the centre of this terrible stronghold. Beyond the entrance you see that a wild battle is raging through the streets. A regiment of Lencian Crusaders are fighting to wrestle possession of the keep from a determined horde of Magnaarn’s Drakkarim. The tide turns against the Lencians and as they are driven back towards the gates, you are forced to climb a stair which leads to the battlements in order to avoid being lost in the crush. Halfway up the steps you are attacked by a Drakkar armed with sword and shield. You duck his clumsy swipe and lash out at his chest. He catches your blow on his shield, but the sheer force of your attack hurls him down on the steps where he remains, cradling his broken arm, tears streaming down his soot-blackened face.

You stride up the steps towards the battlements where a group of Lencians are locked in combat with two Death Knights. The Crusaders slay their enemies, but they, in turn, are slain when a bolt of crackling crimson energy rips through their shiny steel armour, fired from the tip of a wizard’s staff. Their lifeless bodies come tumbling down the steps, knocking you flat on your back and pinning you down beneath the weight of their armour. You struggle to get free, but you are being observed by the one who slew the knights: an evil Nadziranim wizard. He levels his staff at your head and a swirling trail of sparks ignites at its tip. With imminent death staring you full in the face, you steel yourself to meet your maker.

Turn to 177.

Addirittura

Suddenly the evil wizard cries out in pained surprise and throws his claw-tipped hands into the air. A sparkling bolt, which was destined to seal your doom, arcs from his staff and blows a man-sized hole in the wall of the fortress. As the resultant smoke and dust slowly clears, you see Captain Prarg standing over the body of the slain wizard with a bloodied sword held in his hand. With a cry of victory, he leaps over the crumpled corpse and comes rushing down the steps to help free you from the tangle of bodies.

Illustration X—Captain Prarg stands over the body of the slain wizard with bloodied sword in hand.

‘Well met, Sire,’ he says excitedly. ‘I feared you were dead and buried at the Temple of Antah.’

‘I, too, thought you dead, Prarg,’ you reply, thankful to see him still alive. ‘Yet it seems that fate has decreed otherwise.’

‘I was lucky,’ he says, ‘I escaped from Magnaarn. But come, Sire. There’s no time for tales now. We must away from here. Follow me; I know where the Warlord is hiding.’

Turn to 36.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!

Prarg ed i suoi baffi! E ci ha pure salvato la vita!

Tutto ciò è stupefacente O.o

You follow Prarg to the top of the steps, and as you race along the body-strewn battlements, you see the fighting which is raging both inside and outside the city. The battlements end at a tower where a flight of spiral steps ascend to a circular landing. Here you wait in the shadows until a troop of Drakkarim pass by. While you are waiting for them to disappear, you look out of the tower through an arrow slit and see the waters of the Gulf of Lencia, and the conflict that is raging across the coastal plain.

‘The King’s Crusaders breached the city gate three days ago,’ whispers Prarg. ‘They were close to taking the city when Magnaarn and his armies arrived. His newfound power shattered the Crusaders, but even though they were broken by it, not all were ejected from the city. Those you saw fighting at the keep are trying to hold on until our allies arrive from Kasland. The fleet is expected at any time. Magnaarn must be slain. He and the sceptre have become one entity—he is now a puppet of a far greater evil.’

A shudder runs down your spine as, for the first time since you entered Darke, you feel the presence of the Doomstone. Fear returns to haunt you, the fear that the evil gem will sap your strength, as it did when first you encountered it at the Temple of Antah. If this is still so then Magnaarn may prove impossible to defeat.

Prarg senses your anxiety and he offers some words of advice and hope: ‘The taking of Darke has weakened the Warlord—he’s paid a terrible price. He has been forced to retire from the battle in order to recover his strength and he is presently at his weakest. Now, Sire, is the time to strike.’

Beyond the landing lies a corridor which leads to a junction where another passageway crosses from left to right. You look to the right and see that the way is blocked by a heavy steel door. Prarg utters a curse under his breath, and then he explains his anger.

‘That way leads directly to the Palace Tower. Magnaarn is hiding there, in its uppermost chamber.’

Anxiously he glances along the opposite passage and furrows his brow. ‘Perhaps we can get there by another route,’ he muses.

If you wish to investigate the closed door, turn to 220.

If you choose to look for another way of reaching the Palace Tower, turn to 182.

Che si fa ?

[Rise-the-Sky]

INVESTIGAZIO!

E cmq avevamo anche l'aleter come buff da spararci oltre al kai surge.

[Bortas]

L'aleter meglio nei momenti di crisi, btw, investigazione!

[Defender]

Investighiamo sbirciando dalla serratura, magari di là c'é Edwige Fenech nuda!

(o Paido, nudo e incaprettato )

[Jesper]

A man can dream!

You hurry to the door and examine the lock. It is a unique design, quite unlike any you have seen before. It appears be made entirely of silver with a keyhole that is smooth and circular in shape.

If you possess a Silver Rod, turn to 27.

If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 290.

Eccerto che l'abbiamo Probabimente ci fa inchiappare paido con la verga d'argento

Guided by your instincts, you take the Silver Rod from your pocket and insert it into the lock. It is a perfect fit. Silently the lock disengages and the door swings open to reveal two Tukodak guards, both standing with their backs to you. One feels a draught and glances over his shoulder, but before he can draw a weapon or warn his comrade, you leap forward and silence them with two swift and deadly open-handed blows to the napes of their necks.

Turn to 83.

Sempre più Kung-Fu master

You detect a strong presence of evil lurking somewhere nearby and you warn Prarg of what you sense. Cautiously, the two of you leave this chamber by a passage which leads to a flight of black stone steps. You ascend the steps to a domed chamber which is sheathed with dull black stone. Heavy velvet hangings of ebony hue cover most of the walls, and all of the furnishings are upholstered with the same morbid cloth. The sensation of evil is stronger here, so strong that you feel as if you are slowly suffocating.

‘It’s here…’ you whisper, your hand reaching for your weapon. ‘The Doomstone. I can feel its presence!’

Suddenly there is a movement away to your left and a blast of white-hot energy comes roaring towards your face. You dive aside in time to avoid it, but the bolt rebounds from the steel-hard wall and glances off the back of Prarg’s head, knocking him unconscious.

Turn to 161.

AH-AH! Sapevo che la Death Aura si stava riprendendo...

You kneel beside Prarg and check that he is still breathing. He is fortunate that the bolt struck him a glancing blow; had it hit him squarely it would have killed him outright. Then you hear a movement over on the far side of the chamber, and when you look up, you see Warlord Magnaarn emerging from behind one of the many hanging black drapes. An aura of evil surrounds his body like a shimmering grey cocoon, and his features no longer appear as they did when first you encountered him in the subterranean labyrinths of the Temple of Antah. Now his body is twisted and mummy-like, and feverish eyes burn from black sockets within a bald skull of a face. You sense that he is wholly possessed by the object he holds clenched in his shrunken hand—the Nyras Sceptre.

The dread sceptre hums with the power of the Doomstone that is set upon its platinum shaft. Magnaarn utters an evil laugh and points the sceptre at you, but curiously you feel no weakness or leeching of strength, as occurred at Antah. The Warlord’s sick eyes widen with surprise and you sense that he is fearful. He threatens you with death, but his voice is wavering. He is unsure of his power. Then you sense another presence, a magical presence. A wispy shape emerges from behind another curtain, summoned forth by Magnaarn, and at once you recognize it to be the formless life-force of a Nadziranim sorcerer. You hear Magnaarn issue a psychic command, ordering the creature to slay you, and immediately it responds. Swiftly it moves across the chamber, changing shape as it draws closer. It is no more than ten feet distant when it solidifies into a form which is truly horrifying to behold.

Turn to 42.

Ok, lo scettro ha fatto cilecca. Vediamo che dice il mago

The Nadziranim sorcerer has taken on the visage of a great snuffling beast which creeps towards you on six long-clawed feet. A vile, bulbous head is perched uneasily on its immense shoulders and its baleful, milky-coloured eyes roll like balls of mist within its scabrous head. The reeking fur of its body seems to bristle as slowly, with ponderous steps, it draws closer and closer.

Illustration III—The Nadziranim sorcerer, taking on the visage of a great sniffling beast, creeps towards you.

If you possess the Sommerswerd and you wish to use it, turn to 271.

If you do not possess this Special Item or do not wish to use it, turn to 134.

Ma che cazzo

Che si fa ?

[Bortas]

Estraiamo la spada diddio, andiamo di aleter, kaisurgiamo e schiacciamo il cane cervello...

[Rise-the-Sky]

E ora con l'aiuto del sole ..vincero!!

[Defender]

E' arrivato il suo momento:



Atomizziamo questo scarrafone, SOMMERSWERD GO!!