You are the warrior, Lone Wolf, last of the Kai masters of Sommerlund and sole survivor of the massacre that destroyed your kinsmen during a bitter war with your age-old enemies—the Darklords of Helgedad.
Many centuries have passed since Sun Eagle, the first of your kind, established the Order of the Kai. Aided by the magicians of Dessi, he completed a perilous quest to find seven crystals of power known as the Lorestones of Nyxator, and upon their discovery he unlocked a wisdom and strength that lay within both the Lorestones and himself. He recorded the nature of his discoveries and his experiences in a great tome entitled The Book of the Magnakai. You have discovered this lost Kai treasure and have given a solemn pledge to restore the Kai to their former glory, thereby ensuring the security of your land in the years to come. However, your diligent study of this ancient book has enabled you to master only three of the ten Magnakai Disciplines. To fulfil your pledge, you must complete the quest first undertaken by Sun Eagle over a thousand years ago. By doing so successfully, you, too, will acquire the power and wisdom of the Magnakai, which is held within the Lorestones’ crystal forms.
Already your quest has taken you far from your northern homeland. Following in the footsteps of the first Kai Grand Master, you journeyed to Dessi and sought the help of the Elder Magi, the magicians who aided Sun Eagle on his quest long ago. There you learned that for centuries the Elder Magi had awaited your coming. An ancient Dessi legend tells of the birth and rise to greatness of two koura-tas-kai, which means ‘sons of the sun’. One was named Ikar, which means ‘eagle’, and the other was named Skarn, which means ‘wolf’. A prophecy foretold that the koura-tas-kai would each come from the north to seek the counsel of the Elder Magi in order that they might fulfil a great quest. Although separated by several centuries, they would share one spirit, one purpose, and one destiny—to triumph over the champions of darkness in an age of great peril. The Elder Magi knew that you were Skarn—the wolf of Dessi legend—and in keeping with their ancient vows they promised to help you complete the Magnakai quest.
In Elzian, the capital of Dessi, you were tutored in the histories of Magnamund and received lessons in lore that you would have learned from the Kai masters if only they, like you, had survived the murderous Darklord attack on the Kai Monastery twelve years ago. You were eager to learn all that your tutor, Lord Rimoah, could teach you in preparation for the next stage of your quest, but grim news from the Darklands cut short your tuition. In the Darklord city of Helgedad a civil war had erupted, following your defeat of Haakon, Archlord of the Black City. After five years, the battle for the throne of Helgedad had finally been won by a Darklord called Gnaag. The other Darklords, now united behind this new leader, were ordered to amass huge armies in preparation for the conquest of Magnamund. Swiftly their Giak legions grew in number, enabling Gnaag to launch a sweeping invasion that was to catch the freelands unprepared. Many countries were completely overrun by Darkland armies; others surrendered without fighting, and sadly there were those who chose to betray former friends and allies by joining the Darklord cause, in the misguided hope that they would share in the spoils of victory, following the triumph of Darklord Gnaag. One such land was Vassagonia, a powerful desert realm to the north of Dessi. It mobilized its formidable army and marched west to join Gnaag’s horde as it steamrollered across central Magnamund. They were destined to meet at the city of Tahou where, beneath the ancient streets, lay hidden one of the seven Lorestones of Nyxator. You set off in haste for Tahou and arrived barely hours ahead of the enemy. Successfully you made your descent and discovered the object of your quest, but on returning to the surface you found Tahou transformed into a blazing inferno. Darklord Gnaag and Zakhan Kimah, the cruel ruler of Vassagonia, had learnt of your presence and were determined to destroy you at all costs. For days their engines of war had hurled fire and rock across the walls of Tahou with devastating effect. Then a massive assault, led by the Zakhan himself, breached the city gate and gained entry to the burning capital. Armed with a weapon of awesome power, the evil Zakhan sought you out and challenged you to a fight to the death. The struggle was desperate but you emerged victorious and led the Anarians in a counterattack that cleared the city of the invading foe. The allies of Anari arrived to raise the siege and in the ensuing battle the demoralized armies of Gnaag and Kimah were smashed and routed.
Your defeat of Zakhan Kimah turned the tide of war decisively against the Darkland armies and paved the way for the liberation of the lands they had taken by force. But the sweet taste of victory turned sour when you discovered that Darklord Gnaag had captured the last three remaining Lorestones of Nyxator, and had vowed to avenge his defeat by destroying them and killing you. Alarmed by this, the High Council of the Elder Magi joined you in Tahou to help formulate a plan of action. They had already received word from Prince Graygor, the ruler of Eru, that three radiant gems filled with golden light had been transported to the fortress of Torgar from the Darklord city of Mozgôar. Unable to tolerate the goodly power of the Lorestones within his own domain, Gnaag had been forced to move them to Torgar where his sorcerers—the Nadziranim—set about searching for a means to destroy them. Fearing that they might achieve their task, the Elder Magi made preparations for your secret journey to Eru and, in order to safeguard your true identity, you adopted the guise of a Pathfinder—one of Prince Graygor’s élite woodland scouts.
After a long and perilous journey you arrived at Torgar to find it besieged by the armies of Talestria and Palmyrion. During the early months of the Darklord invasion, hundreds of Talestrians were enslaved and sent to labour in the dungeons and sulphur mines deep within the bowels of this grim city-fortress. Their plight seemed hopeless until the allied armies, under the command of Lord Adamas of Garthen, finally arrived to liberate them. Due in part to your bravery and skill during the assault, Lord Adamas’ troops were able to breach the great Torgar gate and storm its citadel. During this fierce battle you gained entry to the chamber at the heart of the citadel where the Nadziranim were attempting to destroy the Lorestones. They were hung above a circular black pit and suspended in a fireball of negative energy, the focal point of several beams of power emanating from crystals set around the edge of the pit. By means of a gantry you were able to climb above these energy beams and retrieve one of the Lorestones. But, as you reached out for the remaining two, a terrible voice filled the chamber.
‘Vengeance is mine, Lone Wolf!’ Terror struck deep in your heart as you turned and saw the ghastly form of Darklord Gnaag. A rasping laugh echoed from his fly-like head as he raised a black crystal and pointed it at the gantry. ‘The vow I gave at Tahou shall be fulfilled. Now I shall destroy you and the Lorestones!’ he gloated.
There was a deafening crack and a bolt of blue lightning leapt from the stone towards the rusty iron gantry. As the shock wave hit the fireball the two remaining Lorestones were sent tumbling into the black abyss. A second bolt ripped the gantry in two and, with the ghastly laugh of Darklord Gnaag ringing in your ears, you fell headlong into a portal of total darkness, a Shadow Gate which leads to the twilight world of the Daziarn Plane.
You keep a record of your adventure on the Action Chart.
During your training as a Kai Master you have developed fighting prowess—COMBAT SKILL and physical stamina—ENDURANCE. Before you set off on your adventure you need to measure how effective your training has been. To do this take a pencil and, with your eyes closed, point with the blunt end of it onto the Random Number Table. If you pick 0 it counts as zero.
The first number that you pick from the Random Number Table in this way represents your COMBAT SKILL. Add 10 to the number you picked and write the total in the COMBAT SKILL section of your Action Chart (i.e. if your pencil fell on the number 4 in the Random Number Table you would write in a COMBAT SKILL of 14). When you fight, your COMBAT SKILL will be pitted against that of your enemy. A high score in this section is therefore very desirable.
The second number that you pick from the Random Number Table represents your powers of ENDURANCE. Add 20 to this number and write the total in the ENDURANCE section of your Action Chart (i.e. if your pencil fell on the number 6 on the Random Number Table you would have 26 ENDURANCE points).
If you are wounded in combat you will lose ENDURANCE points. If at any time your ENDURANCE points fall to zero or below, you are dead and the adventure is over. Lost ENDURANCE points can be regained during the course of the adventure, but your number of ENDURANCE points can never rise above the number you started with.
If you have successfully completed any of the previous adventures in the Lone Wolf series, you can carry your current scores of COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE points over to Book 11. You may also carry over any Weapons and Special Items you have in your possession at the end of your last adventure, and these should be entered on your new Action Chart. (You are still limited to two Weapons and eight Backpack Items.)
You many choose one bonus Magnakai Discipline to add to your Action Chart for every Lone Wolf Magnakai adventure you successfully complete (Books 6–12).
During your training as a Kai Lord, and in the course of the adventures that led to the discovery of The Book of the Magnakai, you have mastered all ten of the basic warrior skills known as the Kai Disciplines.
After studying The Book of the Magnakai, you have also reached the rank of Kai Master Superior, which means that you have learnt three of the Magnakai Disciplines listed below. It is up to you to choose which three skills these are. As all of the Magnakai Disciplines may be of use to you at some point on your adventure, pick your three with care. The correct use of a Magnakai Discipline at the right time can save your life.
The Magnakai skills are divided into groups, each of which is governed by a separate school of training. These groups are called ‘Lore-circles’. By mastering all of the Magnakai Disciplines in a particular Lore-circle, you can gain an increase in your COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE points score. (See the section ‘Lore-circles of the Magnakai’ for details of these bonuses.)
When you have chosen your three Magnakai Disciplines, enter them in the Magnakai Disciplines section of your Action Chart.
This Magnakai Discipline enables a Kai Master to become proficient in the use of all types of weapon. When you enter combat with a weapon you have mastered, you add 3 points to your COMBAT SKILL. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Weaponmastery with Bow, you may add 3 to any number that you choose from the Random Number Table, when using the Bow. The rank of Kai Master Superior, with which you begin the Magnakai series, means you are skilled in three of the weapons in the list below.
![[illustration]](11/weapons.png)
The fact that you are skilled with three Weapons does not mean that you begin the adventure carrying any of them. However, you will have opportunities to acquire Weapons during your adventure. For every Lone Wolf book that you complete in the Magnakai series, you may add an additional Weapon to your Weaponmastery Checklist.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Weaponmastery: +3 COMBAT SKILL points’ on your Action Chart, and tick your chosen weapons on the Weapons List. You cannot carry more than two Weapons.
This Magnakai Discipline enables a Kai Master to communicate with most animals and to determine their purpose and intentions. It also enables a Kai Master to fight from the saddle with great advantage.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Animal Control’ on your Action Chart.
The possessor of this skill can restore 1 lost ENDURANCE point to his total for every numbered section of the book through which he passes, provided he is not involved in combat. (This can only be done after his ENDURANCE has fallen below its original level.) This Magnakai Discipline also enables a Kai Master to cure disease, blindness, and any combat wounds sustained by others, as well as himself. Using the knowledge that mastery of this skill provides will also allow a Kai Master to identify the properties of any herbs, roots, and potions that may be encountered during the adventure.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Curing: +1 ENDURANCE point for each section without combat’ on your Action Chart.
This Magnakai skill allows a Kai Master to blend in with his surroundings, even in the most exposed terrain. It will enable him to mask his body heat and scent, and to adopt the dialect and mannerisms of any town or city that he visits.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Invisibility’ on your Action Chart.
This skill ensures that a Kai Master will never starve in the wild; he will always be able to hunt for food, even in areas of wasteland and desert. It also enables a Kai Master to move with great speed and dexterity and will allow him to ignore any extra loss of COMBAT SKILL points due to a surprise attack or ambush.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Huntmastery’ on your Action Chart.
In addition to the basic skill of being able to recognize the correct path in unknown territory, the Magnakai skill of Pathsmanship will enable a Kai Master to read foreign languages, decipher symbols, read footprints and tracks (even if they have been disturbed), and detect the presence of most traps. It also grants him the gift of always knowing intuitively the position of north.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Pathsmanship’ on your Action Chart.
This psychic skill enables a Kai Master to attack an enemy using the force of his mind. It can be used as well as normal combat weapons and adds 4 extra points to your COMBAT SKILL.
It is a powerful Discipline, but it is also a costly one. For every round of combat in which you use Psi-surge, you must deduct 2 ENDURANCE points. A weaker form of Psi-surge called Mindblast can be used against an enemy without losing any ENDURANCE points, but it will add only 2 extra points to your COMBAT SKILL. (Psi-surge and Mindblast cannot be used simultaneously.) Psi-surge cannot be used if your ENDURANCE falls to 6 points or below, and not all of the creatures encountered on your adventure will be affected by it; you will be told if a creature is immune.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Psi-surge: +4 COMBAT SKILL points but −2 ENDURANCE points per round’ and ‘Mindblast: +2 COMBAT SKILL points’ on your Action Chart.
Many of the hostile creatures that inhabit Magnamund have the ability to attack you using their Mindforce. The Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen prevents you from losing any ENDURANCE points when subjected to this form of attack and greatly increases your defence against supernatural illusions and hypnosis.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Psi-screen: no points lost when attacked by Mindforce’ on your Action Chart.
Mastery of this Magnakai skill will enable you to withstand extremes of heat and cold without losing ENDURANCE points and to move items by your powers of concentration alone.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Nexus’ on your Action Chart.
This skill may warn a Kai Master of imminent or unseen danger or enable him to detect an invisible or hidden enemy. It may also reveal the true purpose or intent of a stranger or strange object encountered in your adventure. Divination may enable you to communicate telepathically with another person and to sense if a creature possesses psychic abilities.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Divination’ on your Action Chart.
If you successfully complete the mission as set in Book 11 of the Lone Wolf series, you may add a further Magnakai Discipline of your choice to your Action Chart in Book 12. This additional skill, together with your other Magnakai skills and any Special Items that you have found and been able to keep during your adventures may then be used in the next adventure in the Lone Wolf Magnakai series, which is called The Masters of Darkness.
If you have successfully completed any of the previous Lone Wolf adventures you will already possess equipment and Special Items, which you may now use during your adventure in the Daziarn (pass over this section and turn instead to the Improved Disciplines section). However, if this is your first Lone Wolf adventure, you will need to equip yourself with weapons and provisions in order to help you survive the perils ahead.
You are dressed in the grey tunic of an Eruan Pathfinder. You possess a Backpack containing 2 Meals (note these in the ‘Meals’ section of your Action Chart) and a leather pouch containing Gold Crowns. To find out how much gold is in the pouch, pick a number from the Random Number Table. Add 10 to the number you have picked. The total equals the number of Gold Crowns inside the pouch, and you should now enter this number in the ‘Gold Crowns’ section of your Action Chart. In addition you may take six items from the list below:
![[illustration]](11/sword.png)
![[illustration]](11/bow.png)
![[illustration]](11/quiver.png)
![[illustration]](11/rope.png)
![[illustration]](11/potion.png)
![[illustration]](11/lantern.png)
![[illustration]](11/mace.png)
![[illustration]](11/food.png)
![[illustration]](11/dagger.png)
List the six items that you choose on your Action Chart, under the heading given in brackets, and make a note of any effect they may have on your ENDURANCE points or COMBAT SKILL.
Now that you have your equipment, the following list shows you how it is carried. You do not need to make notes, but you should refer back to this list in the course of your adventure.
Special Items are not carried in the Backpack. When you discover a Special Item, you will be told how to carry it.
The maximum number of Special Items that can be carried on any adventure is twelve.
Any item that may be of use and can be picked up on your adventure and entered on your Action Chart is given initial capitals (e.g. Gold Dagger, Magic Pendant) in the text. Unless you are told it is a Special Item, carry it in your Backpack.
There will be occasions during your adventure when you have to fight an enemy. The enemy’s COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE points are given in the text. Lone Wolf’s aim in the combat is to kill the enemy by reducing his ENDURANCE points to zero while losing as few ENDURANCE points as possible himself.
At the start of a combat, enter Lone Wolf’s and the enemy’s ENDURANCE points in the appropriate boxes on the Combat Record section of your Action Chart.
The sequence for combat is as follows:
This process of combat continues until the ENDURANCE points of either the enemy or Lone Wolf are reduced to zero or below, at which point that combatant is declared dead. If Lone Wolf is dead, the adventure is over. If the enemy is dead, Lone Wolf proceeds but with his ENDURANCE points possibly reduced.
A summary of Combat Rules appears in the back of this book.
During your adventure you may be given the chance to evade combat. If you have already engaged in a round of combat and decide to evade, calculate the combat for that round in the usual manner. All points lost by the enemy as a result of that round are ignored, and you make your escape. Only Lone Wolf may lose ENDURANCE points during that round, but then that is the risk of running away! You may only evade if the text of the particular section allows you to do so.
The following table is a guide to the ranks and titles that are achieved by Kai Masters at each stage of their training. As you successfully complete each adventure in the Lone Wolf Magnakai series, you will gain an additional Magnakai Discipline and progress towards the ultimate distinction of a Kai Warrior—Kai Grand Mastership.
In the years before their massacre, the Kai Masters of Sommerlund devoted themselves to the study of the Magnakai. These skills were divided into four schools of training called ‘Lore-circles’. By mastering all of the Magnakai Disciplines of a Lore-circle, the Kai Masters developed their fighting prowess (COMBAT SKILL), and their physical and mental stamina (ENDURANCE) to a level far higher than any mortal warrior could otherwise attain.
Listed below are the four Lore-circles of the Magnakai and the skills that must be mastered in order to complete them.
By completing a Lore-circle, you may add to your COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE the extra bonus points that are shown below.
All bonus points that you acquire by completing a Lore-circle are additions to your basic COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE scores.
As you rise through the higher levels of Magnakai training you will find that some of your skills will steadily improve. If you have reached the rank of Primate (four skills), Tutelary (five skills), Principalin (six skills), Mentora (seven skills) or Scion-kai (eight skills), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Magnakai Disciplines:
The nature of any additional improvements and how they affect your Magnakai Disciplines will be noted in the Improved Disciplines section of the next Lone Wolf adventure.
Your visit to the twilight world of the Daziarn will be fraught with supernatural dangers. As you search for the two remaining Lorestones be on your guard at all times, for here even the laws of nature are strange and unstable. Make notes as you progress through this story for they will be of great help, both in this quest and in the ultimate Magnakai adventure which follows it.
Many things that you find will help you during your mission. Some Special Items will be of use in this and future Lone Wolf books, while others may be red herrings of no real value at all, so be selective in what you decide to keep. If this is your first Magnakai adventure be sure to choose your three Magnakai Disciplines with care, for a wise choice enables any player to complete the quest, no matter how weak their initial COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE points scores. Successful completion of previous Lone Wolf adventures, although an advantage, is not essential for the completion of this Magnakai adventure.
The future of Magnamund and the restoration of your warrior élite depend on the success of your Daziarn quest. May the spirit of your ancestors and the wisdom of the great God Kai guide your journey along the path of the Magnakai.
Good luck!