and derelict hovels of Vorn, clustered in squalid disarray around a greystone quay. Vakovarian bandits occupy the ruined hamlet and you decide it wise to leave the trail in case they have posted a lookout. A copse of stunted firs offers you a good hiding place for your horse. You tether him here, and then gather some grasses and roots for him to eat while you are away scouting the hamlet.
You have no difficulty entering Vorn unseen. From the first-floor ruins of a burnt-out inn on the outskirts of the hamlet you make a careful observation of the Vakovarians. They seem to be systematically looting the ruins and transporting their ill-gotten booty to a fishing boat which is moored at the quay. You are watching this boat closely when suddenly your concentration is broken by the sound of a yapping dog.
If you possess Animal Mastery, turn to 281 .
If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 2 .
11
Cautiously you approach the circle of boulders, leading your frozen horse by the reins. Through a gap in the boulders you see a pack of eight ridge-backed Jackals feeding on the carcass of a Durncrag Scavenger, a vulture-like bird of prey. They are engrossed with their meal until they suddenly detect the scent of their most favoured food: live horsemeat.
Illustration I —With a frenzied howl the wild Jackals abandon the feathery carcass and come streaming through the gap in the boulders.
With a frenzied howl the wild Jackals abandon the feathery carcass and come streaming through the gap in the boulders, drawn by the scent of your horse. They seem to know that he is in a weakened state, and this fuels their fury. Your horse takes fright and tries to pull away, his hooves flailing the air perilously close to your skull, and as the first of the Jackals makes its attack, you find yourself struggling to hold on to the reins with one hand and fight them off with the other.
Vorndarol Jackals: COMBAT SKILL 42 ENDURANCE 38
Unless you possess Grand Weaponmastery and have reached the rank of Sun Knight or higher, you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 5 for the duration of this combat.
You may evade combat after four rounds by turning to 222 .
If you win this fight, turn to 347 .
12
The first light of dawn brings with it a dramatic change in the weather. The storm has ended and the sky is now bright and clear, but on the distant horizon you can still see flashes of lightning and hear thunder rumbling in the mountains.
After drying out your equipment and tending to the minor cuts and abrasions that Bracer sustained last night, you climb into the saddle and set off along the muddy track, most of which you discover has been washed away by the flood. The damp earth is steaming in the unusual heat of the morning sun, and the air crackles with an eerie residue of static electricity.
You continue your ride through the hills without stopping until, shortly after midday, you come to a derelict hovel which stands at the edge of a marshy peat bog. Your Kai senses inform you that there is somebody inside and, spurred on by curiosity, you resolve to find out who they are. You dismount and leave Bracer to feed on the marsh grass while you go forward to investigate the hovel on foot. You are six yards away from its rotting wooden door when suddenly it creaks open and you see an old man standing in the doorway. He is smiling at you.
If you have ever visited the city of Varetta, the city of Tahou, or a hut on the Ruanon Pike in a previous
Lone Wolf
adventure, turn to 220 .
If you have never visited any of these places, turn to 53 .
13
The man makes a slow, sure-footed descent to within ten feet of where you are standing, during which time his weapon's sights never leave your chest. You can tell immediately that he is a skilled hunter and, judging by his furs and his beautifully crafted crossbow, he is a successful one too.
Your muscles are tense and coiled like springs, ready to propel you out of the path of his crossbow bolt in
You have no difficulty entering Vorn unseen. From the first-floor ruins of a burnt-out inn on the outskirts of the hamlet you make a careful observation of the Vakovarians. They seem to be systematically looting the ruins and transporting their ill-gotten booty to a fishing boat which is moored at the quay. You are watching this boat closely when suddenly your concentration is broken by the sound of a yapping dog.
If you possess Animal Mastery, turn to 281 .
If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 2 .
11
Cautiously you approach the circle of boulders, leading your frozen horse by the reins. Through a gap in the boulders you see a pack of eight ridge-backed Jackals feeding on the carcass of a Durncrag Scavenger, a vulture-like bird of prey. They are engrossed with their meal until they suddenly detect the scent of their most favoured food: live horsemeat.
Illustration I —With a frenzied howl the wild Jackals abandon the feathery carcass and come streaming through the gap in the boulders.
With a frenzied howl the wild Jackals abandon the feathery carcass and come streaming through the gap in the boulders, drawn by the scent of your horse. They seem to know that he is in a weakened state, and this fuels their fury. Your horse takes fright and tries to pull away, his hooves flailing the air perilously close to your skull, and as the first of the Jackals makes its attack, you find yourself struggling to hold on to the reins with one hand and fight them off with the other.
Vorndarol Jackals: COMBAT SKILL 42 ENDURANCE 38
Unless you possess Grand Weaponmastery and have reached the rank of Sun Knight or higher, you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 5 for the duration of this combat.
You may evade combat after four rounds by turning to 222 .
If you win this fight, turn to 347 .
12
The first light of dawn brings with it a dramatic change in the weather. The storm has ended and the sky is now bright and clear, but on the distant horizon you can still see flashes of lightning and hear thunder rumbling in the mountains.
After drying out your equipment and tending to the minor cuts and abrasions that Bracer sustained last night, you climb into the saddle and set off along the muddy track, most of which you discover has been washed away by the flood. The damp earth is steaming in the unusual heat of the morning sun, and the air crackles with an eerie residue of static electricity.
You continue your ride through the hills without stopping until, shortly after midday, you come to a derelict hovel which stands at the edge of a marshy peat bog. Your Kai senses inform you that there is somebody inside and, spurred on by curiosity, you resolve to find out who they are. You dismount and leave Bracer to feed on the marsh grass while you go forward to investigate the hovel on foot. You are six yards away from its rotting wooden door when suddenly it creaks open and you see an old man standing in the doorway. He is smiling at you.
If you have ever visited the city of Varetta, the city of Tahou, or a hut on the Ruanon Pike in a previous
Lone Wolf
adventure, turn to 220 .
If you have never visited any of these places, turn to 53 .
13
The man makes a slow, sure-footed descent to within ten feet of where you are standing, during which time his weapon's sights never leave your chest. You can tell immediately that he is a skilled hunter and, judging by his furs and his beautifully crafted crossbow, he is a successful one too.
Your muscles are tense and coiled like springs, ready to propel you out of the path of his crossbow bolt in
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