[LUPO SOLITARIO] Libro XIX: Wolf's Bane

[Bortas]

Lo appoggio anche io a deffo così famo una gang bang...

[Defender]

[Jesper]

Appoggino go!!!

The moment you twist the dial to the correct number, the panel slides open and a rush of air surges into the cell. Greedily you fill your lungs as you stagger out into the corridor and make your way back along this steel-lined passage towards the stairs. Quietly cursing your ill luck, you descend the steps to the foyer and leave the building.

Turn to 71.

E' bello vedere che la proprietà commutativa funziona anche su Magnamund

Once outside, you focus your tracking skills and attempt to pick up your enemy’s trail. You have a feeling that he may have doubled back on his tracks and so you retrace your steps to the street where you first appeared in this alien city. As you are nearing this place, you suddenly hear the ringing metallic clang of an iron girder falling from a height. The noise echoes from an alleyway off to your right and immediately you go to investigate.

At the end of the alley you discover a derelict warehouse. Fire has ravaged its interior and much of the roof has caved in, but amongst the debris you can see that it once stored metal cylinders and coils of wire. You stop at the entrance and listen. Your caution is rewarded when you hear footsteps at the rear of the building. You draw your weapon and enter, using the debris for cover as you inch your way towards the back of the ruined warehouse. You are moving between cover when suddenly you see the outline of a human form silhouetted against a broken window. Instantly you know that it is not Wolf’s Bane: this figure is clad in grey, close-fitting armour and is holding a metallic spear. The realization makes you hesitate, and in that split second of indecision, the armoured figure sees you and raises its spear. A blinding flame ignites at its tip and a beam of white-hot light comes speeding towards your chest.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, add 3 to the number you have picked.

If your total is now 5 or less, turn to 312.

If it is 6 or higher, turn to 6.

Abbiamo +3 al roll!

Ro...4!

You throw yourself to the ground and the beam of blazing white light passes within inches of your head, close enough to scorch the hood of your cloak. The moment you hit the warehouse floor you roll over and over and scramble for the nearest cover—a heavy iron chest, banded and riveted with steel. The warrior follows your swift movement and looses a second beam from his spear which slams into the iron chest with stunning force. You gasp with horror as you see the side of the chest bulging towards your face. Its thick rivets tremble and its age-blackened skin smoulders with a sullen heat. Instinct takes over, making you roll away from the iron chest and seek cover elsewhere. As you move, the beam of light tears through the rear of the iron box and destroys the ground where, only moments before, your face had been.

You call upon all of your camouflage skills to mask your body as you hurriedly seek a way to escape from this warrior and his sorcerous weapon. You reach the base of a large steel tank and scramble up a ladder fixed to its side. The top of the tank is stacked high with coiled ropes and you force yourself in amongst them. A few moments later you watch the warrior approach the smouldering remains of the iron chest. He is close enough now for you to see that his weapon is attached by a length of steel cable to a canister strapped to his back.

If you possess a Bow and the Discipline of Magi-magic and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Lord, turn to 209.

If you do not possess a Bow or this skill, or if you have yet to attain the rank of Sun Lord, turn to 156.

Ce li abbiamo!

You unshoulder your Bow and draw an Arrow from your Quiver. As you fix the notch of the Arrow to the bowstring, you cast the Old Kingdom Battle-spell Flameshaft upon its tip, keeping the last word of the spell upon your lips until you are ready to fire.

Patiently you watch the warrior kicking at the smouldering remains of the iron chest. The moment he turns away, you utter the completing word of the spell and let loose your Arrow at his back. The tip of the Arrow ignites in flight, the magical flame illuminating the gloom as it arcs towards your unwary target with deadly precision. The fiery point penetrates deep into the metal canister strapped to the warrior’s back and, in a terrifying instant, he and his sorcerous weapon are engulfed by a crackling mass of electrical energy. He screams and staggers across the floor, his limbs and torso trailing blue-white snakes of light which earth themselves to the surrounding metal debris. Then, finally, the energy that is contained within the canister is expended. Released from his torment, he loses his balance and falls heavily to the floor.

You shoulder your Bow and move to descend from the top of the storage tank, but you freeze when you see a second warrior running to where the first has fallen. As he passes beneath the tank, you leap onto his back and bring him crashing to the ground. To your shocked surprise you discover that he is an exceptionally strong opponent. He draws power from the armour he wears and he uses it to break your grip. In desperation you utter the words of the Old Kingdom Spell Energy Grasp and use it to discharge a powerful pulse of energy into the fabric of his armour. The effect is devastating. His armour disintegrates, crushing him to death as it crumples and compresses his body.

Turn to 21.

Cautiously you approach the slain warriors. You are eager to examine their strange armour and you are particularly curious about the light-emitting spears they wielded; weapons such as these could prove useful in your fight against Wolf’s Bane. However, on examining these steely shafts you discover that they are now useless. The source of their power was contained in the canisters strapped to the warriors’ backs, a power that is now depleted.

When you prise open a helmet and breastplate, you discover a thin, pale-skinned humanoid within. His bone structure and muscularity is surprisingly weak for a warrior, prompting you to suspect that he must have relied heavily on his power-fed armour for strength and protection. This sallow-faced soldier has a lean and brutal appearance, a look which resembles that of an emaciated Drakkar.

After having satisfied yourself that there is nothing worth salvaging from the bodies of these two slain enemies, you make a cursory check of your own equipment. You are hungry, and unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. Having satisfied your curiosity and your appetite, you hurry out of this derelict warehouse by a rear door and continue your hunt for Wolf’s Bane’s trail.

Turn to 31.

Nooo niente lanciafiamme sparafulmini per noi ç__ç

The rear of the warehouse opens onto a wasteland of shattered rubble which is bisected by a dead stream of salty, acidic water. You trudge across this bleak and forbidding landscape, past sharp spires of crimson and jet that erupt through the dereliction to scratch the cloudy sky. Rust-red water encircles their bases, lending them a wholly sinister aspect. To your eyes it seems as if this blighted city has been impaled upon these cruel, towering spikes.

Beyond the spires you discover a paved street almost clear of debris. You find several sets of footprints here, and your hopes are raised when you determine that one set belongs to Wolf’s Bane. You follow them to a gutted building, several storeys high, which is adorned with strangely angular gargoyles. The inside of this crumbling edifice is completely empty and your adversary’s trail passes through it to a rear exit. As you emerge on the far side, you catch your first breathtaking glimpse of this grim city’s tallest structure.

Turn to 250.

Before you stands a great tower of gleaming black stone which rises from the depths of a fathomless moat and soars to within a hundred feet of the stormy grey clouds. Its pitted surface bristles with metal discs and antennae, streaked with rust, yet there are few windows and you can see but one portal.

You magnify your vision and note that your adversary’s tracks lead to a traffic-worn area on this side of the moat, directly opposite the portal. You watch this area for several minutes, and then you see two armour-clad warriors emerge from the ruins and approach it. Suddenly a semi-transparent drawbridge extends from beneath the portal. It resembles a flattened beam of solid, green-grey light, and this beam bridges the moat and provides the two warriors with the means to reach the open tower door.

You scan the great tower with your senses and you feel sure that your opponent is lurking somewhere within. Powerless to reach him, you can only stand and watch the two warriors as they cross the moat and disappear into the portal, which slides shut behind them. At first glance this stronghold looks to be impregnable, but you have gained access to far tougher fortresses in the past and you refuse to allow your spirits to be dampened by the daunting task of finding a way into this one.

Turn to 308.

For two hours you observe the tower. During this time you sense that an invisible field of energy surrounds the wall, a defence that complements the terrifyingly deep moat. This force field disappears only when the portal opens and the drawbridge extends to allow for the arrival or departure of armoured warriors, or strange horseless wagons that hover a few feet from the ground, but in the main the great door remains firmly closed.

You notice that the sparse traffic of warriors and wagons passes along one avenue. It is the only thoroughfare approaching the tower which has been cleared of debris. It is an uncomfortable vigil, but the time you spend observing the tower is rewarded when a bold plan gradually takes form in your mind.

You assess that an entry to the tower could be effected by two means: if you were able to ambush a warrior and use his armour as a disguise, or, if you were able to stow away aboard one of the wagons approaching the moat.

If you wish to attempt to ambush one of the armoured warriors, turn to 276.

If you decide to attempt to stow away aboard a hover-wagon, turn to 79.

Che si fa ?

[Rise-the-Sky]

Modalità Solid Wolf...attivare! 276

[Bortas]

Imboschiamolo che è figo farlo...

[Jesper]

Imboscata!

You make your way towards the avenue and select an ideal place from where you can launch an ambush. Twenty minutes tick by before you see two armoured humanoids approaching. One walks several paces behind the other, but both are on their way towards the tower. At first you are discouraged that there are two, fearing that an ambush will be harder to effect. But as they draw closer you note that neither appears to be carrying weapons.

You let the first warrior pass and then you strike the second one, dragging him off the street and into the dark alley where you have been lying in wait. A sharp blow beneath the chin-guard of his helmet renders him unconscious, and swiftly you begin to strip away his armour. All is going to plan until a scraping noise behind alerts you to trouble. His companion has noticed that he is alone and has retraced his steps to investigate the sudden disappearance of his brother-in-arms.

You are holding an armoured breastplate in both hands when he comes striding into the alley. You hurl it at him, hoping to buy yourself a few precious seconds in which you can unsheathe your weapon, but the warrior bats it aside and attempts to close his hands around your throat.

Illustration XV—The warrior bats your weapon aside and attempts to close his hands around your throat.

Manoyd (with power gloves): COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 40

Unless you possess Grand Weaponmastery and have attained the rank of Grand Crown, you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 4 for the duration of this fight.

If you win the combat, turn to 289.

Oh cazzo, Ironman! Fortunatamente abbiamo +3 nel combattimento a mani nude, invece che -4!

COMBAT RATING: +9 (con Kai.Surge)

Roll...2
Lupo Solitario -3 (-1)(46)
Manoyd -9 (31)

Roll...8
Lupo Solitario -0 (-1)(45)
Manoyd -18 (13)

Roll...8
Lupo Solitario -0 (-1)(44)
Manoyd -18 (morto!)

You drag the body of the dead Manoyd into the ruins of a house and cover it with rubble. Then you put on the armour, which you have stripped from the unconscious Manoyd, and lower the visor of the helmet to hide your face. A black haversack taken from the warrior provides you with a convenient means to hide your own weapons, equipment, and cloak.

After checking that the avenue is clear, you emerge from the alley and stride boldly towards the tower. On reaching the edge of this windswept canyon, you hear the distant clang of a bell and watch as the drawbridge extends from beneath the portal to span the chasm. You march across, trying not to look down through the semi-transparent bridge to the dark floor of the moat that lies thousands of feet below, and enter the tower’s great portal.

Turn to 124.

The great portal closes behind you with little noise, save the serpent-like hiss of escaping air. Inside, a cavernous plaza awaits you, crafted entirely of steel, glass, silver, and iron. Towering girders arc over your head, buttressed upon each other to support the many upper levels of this stupendous edifice.

The plaza is vast and alien in design, and it is virtually deserted. You count no more than six armoured warriors, some so far distant that you have to magnify your vision to be sure that they are what they seem to be. Your arrival goes unchallenged and you waste no time in attempting to locate your adversary’s trail. As expected, you find traces of his tracks close to the portal. They lead you to an archway which opens into a steel-lined chamber that has two exits: one to the left, the other to the right. Here the tracks become indistinct and you are unable to determine which way Wolf’s Bane went from here.

If you wish to explore the left exit, turn to 243.

If you choose to explore the right exit, turn to 254.

Finalmente

?

[Rise-the-Sky]

Cioè abbiamo fottuto l'armatura potenziata?
Iron Wolf alla riscossa! (a sx ovviamente)

[Bortas]

Sinistra ovvio...

[Kaluisurrr]

nascondiamoci sotto al vagone come veri ninja


fuck arrivo tardi, vabbè go left

[Jesper]

Left, ovviamente

This exit leads to an echoing tunnel constructed from sheeted steel. Its walls and ceiling are lined with iron pipes and braided copper cables for most of its length. You follow this passage for several hundred yards before arriving at another which crosses it from left to right.

If you possess Telegnosis and have attained the rank of Grand Thane, turn to 73.

If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 347.

Ce l'abbiamo!

Your advanced Kai Mastery reveals to you that a hoard of precious platinum is stored in a chamber at the end of the left corridor.

If you wish to explore the left corridor, turn to 95.

If you choose instead to explore the right corridor, turn to 137.

Sembra una scelta semplice...forse troppo?

Che si fa ?

[Kaluisurrr]

go right, cazzo ce ne facciamo di roba sbrilluccicosa

[Bortas]

Come api sul miele go left!

[Lupoazzurro]

Left!

Freghiamogli fino all'ultimo grammo di platino!!!!

[Rise-the-Sky]

LEFT! come le falene verso le lampade al neon che le friggeranno!

[Jesper]

This passage ends at a door crafted from sheeted silver inset with circles of iron. It has no handle and there appears to be no lock. You try pushing against it but to no avail: it refuses to open. Then you notice a small slit cut into the frame of the door and, when you run your fingers across it, you detect the tell-tale vibrations of an electrical lock.

If you possess an Iron Disc, turn to 159.

If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 143.

Niente Iron Disc ç_ç

Unable to open this portal, you turn around and retrace your steps back to the junction and then explore the other passageway.

Turn to 137.

This passage ascends by a slope to a chamber that is lined with sheets of a glassy, jet-black mineral. A flight of iron steps ascends from here to a landing where a circular stair continues the ascent to the levels above. On a shelf beside the opening to the circular stairway there is a steel cage containing a small primate. It reminds you of the Kakarmi, the wild primates who inhabit the forests around the Kai Monastery. This creature seems to recognize you, and as you approach the stairs, it begins to shriek with fear. Rather than risk drawing unwanted attention to yourself, you use your innate skills of Animal Control to calm and subdue the frightened creature.

If you wish to release this creature from its cage, turn to 46.

If you choose to ignore it and continue on your way up the circular stairs, turn to 287.

Liberiamo la creatura o la lasciamo al suo tristo destino?