The Chasm of Doom Read online

  The Chasm of Doom

  You are Lone Wolf — last of the Kai Lords. To the south of your homeland of Sommerlund lies the rich but remote mining province of Ruanon. When a regular shipment of gold suddenly vanishes, the King dispatches a patrol of his best cavalry to investigate the suspected theft. They do not return.

  In The Chasm of Doom, you are sent to recover the missing gold and locate the lost patrol, but you soon discover that it is a mission of direful consequence — for the fate of your country is at stake!

  Joe Dever, the creator of the bestselling Lone Wolf adventure books and novels, has achieved world-wide recognition in three creative fields — as an award-winning author of international renown, as an acclaimed musician and composer, and as a games designer specialising in role-playing games.

  On graduating from college in 1974, Joe Dever became a professional musician, and for several years, he worked in the music industry in Europe and the United States.

  While working in Los Angeles in 1977 he discovered a then little-known game called ‘Dungeons & Dragons’. Although the game was in its infancy, Joe at once realised its huge potential and began designing his own role-playing games along similar conceptual lines. These first games were to form the basis of a fantasy world called Magnamund, which later became the setting for the Lone Wolf books.

  Five years later, in 1982 at the Origins Game Fair, Joe won the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons World Championships in Baltimore, an event held before 16,000 people. Inspired and encouraged by his success at Origins, Joe decided to quit the music business and devote his time to writing and games design.

  In 1983, after a brief spell at Games Workshop in London, he wrote Flight from the Dark — the first Lone Wolf interactive gamebook. His manuscript immediately attracted a frenzy of interest from three major London publishing companies, all of whom bid for world rights. Joe accepted an offer of publication from Hutchinson's (later to become Century Hutchinson Ltd; now Random House UK) and Flight from the Dark was first published in 1984.

  This first book sold more than 100,000 copies within its first month of publication, and overseas rights were snapped up by twelve countries (including the United States, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Sweden). The success of Joe's first book laid the foundations for the future of the Lone Wolf series, which has sold millions of copies around the world.

  The Lone Wolf series ended after 28 books and 14 years. Joe has continued to work in the games industry as script writer and games design consultant.

  Gary Chalk, the illustrator of the early Lone Wolf series, was born in 1952, grew up in Hertfordshire, England. Being interested in history, he began playing war games at the age of fifteen. When he graduated from college with a Bachelor of Arts in design, Gary spent three years training in a studio before becoming a teacher in art and design.

  Gary was working as a children's book illustrator when he became involved in adventure gaming, an interest which eventually led to the creation of several successful games. He is the inventor/illustrator of some of Britain's biggest-selling fantasy games including Cry Havoc, Starship Captain, and Battlecars (co-designed with Ian Livingstone). He is also known for his work on the very successful game, Talisman.

  Gary was working at Games Workshop when Joe Dever asked him to illustrate some of his manuscript of Flight from the Dark. The two teamed up after that and they continued to work together until the eighth book in the series, The Jungle of Horrors.

  Gary has also drawn the illustrations in Redwall and related books, The Prince of Shadows gamebook series, and several books which he also authored. Gary continues to enjoy war gaming and works as an illustrator and model maker.

  * * *

  Internet Edition published by Project Aon. This edition is intended to reflect the complete text of the original version. Where we have made minor corrections, they will be noted in the Errata.

  Publication Date: 28 October 2012

  Text copyright © 1985 Joe Dever.

  Illustrations copyright © 1985 Gary Chalk.

  Distribution of this Internet Edition is restricted under the terms of the Project Aon License.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  The Story So Far …

  The Game RulesKai Disciplines

  Equipment

  Rules for Combat

  Levels of Kai Training

  Kai Wisdom

  Numbered Sections

  Southern Sommerlund

  Action Chart

  Combat Rules Summary

  Combat Results Table

  Random Number Table

  Errata

  Footnotes

  Table of Illustrations

  Project Aon License

  Dedication

  For Bryan Ansell, Rick Priestley, and Richard Halliwell

  Acknowledgements

  ‘I would be especially pleased if my granting of the rights to distribute my books in this way was seen as my “millennium gift” to all those devoted readers who have kept the Kai flag flying high, through all the good times, and the not-so-good. It would make me very proud indeed if this enterprise laid the foundations of a lasting legacy, securing the longevity of Lone Wolf by making my creation freely and readily accessible to current and future online generations. For them, for us, for Sommerlund and the Kai. … ’ Joe Dever

  Project Aon would first like to thank Joe Dever for making this generous offering of the books that we have all loved from the beginning. We are also grateful for the generosity of Rob Adams, Paul Bonner, Gary Chalk, Melvyn Grant, Richard Hook, Peter Andrew Jones, Cyril Julien, Peter Lyon, Ian Page, Graham Round, and Brian Williams for contributing their portions of the world of Magnamund to Project Aon. We would also like to acknowledge the following members of Project Aon for their diligent work:

  Credits

  Transcription

  Daniel Nash

  Illustration Transcription

  Jonathan Blake

  Paul Haskell

  Simon Osborne

  Daniel Strong

  XML

  Jonathan Blake

  Charles Porter

  Alternate Illustrations

  JC Alvarez (Action Charts)

  Jonathan Blake (Extramatter Charts and Tables)

  Michael Hahn (Map)

  Proofreading

  Simon Osborne (Sections 1–105, 176–210, and 281–350)

  Vito Trifilo (Sections 106–175 and 246–280)

  Tony Wrigley (Sections 211–245)

  Editing

  Mike Feldman

  Ingo Klöcker

  Mark Laird

  Simon Osborne

  Matthew Reynolds

  Thomas Wolmer

  Coordination

  Jonathan Blake

  Special Thanks

  Dan Boulton, Jan Charvát, David Davis, Michael Eshleman, Kayvohn Kazemi, Benjamin Krefetz, Ryan Marshall, Dewi Morgan, Jason Newman, Timothy Pederick, Sam Seaver, Robert Wellock

  The Story So Far …

  Ruanon is a remote mining province to the south of your homeland, Sommerlund. Nestling between the sullen peaks of the Durncrag and Maaken mountains, the people of this province have long prospered from their toil in the ore-rich mines, living and enjoying their wealth under the protection of their lord — Baron Vanalund.

  The gold and gems that are mined at Ruanon yield an important source of revenue to your homeland. The heavily guarded convoy of wagons that leave the province and journey to the capital has become a regular monthly routine; a routine that had never been broken until one month ago when, suddenly, all contact with Ruanon ceased. A troop of one hundred cavalry from the King's Guard were immediately dispatched to investiga
te the whereabouts of the missing convoy. Their commanding officer, Captain D'Val, was ordered to report back to the King as soon as contact was made, but he and his men have not returned: they too have disappeared without trace.

  The King has summoned you, Lone Wolf, last of the Kai Lords, to his citadel at Holmgard. Your quest is to find Captain D'Val and his men, discover what has happened to the missing convoy, and to uncover the veil of mystery that now hangs over Ruanon. The King has gathered a company of Border Rangers, a unit of élite scouts, all of whom are skilled in horsemanship and outdoor survival. He has ordered these fifty men to accompany you in the hope that, with your leadership, they may succeed where the larger and more visible force failed.

  As you and your men enter the Royal Armoury to equip yourselves for the long ride ahead, you glimpse a black crow perched on a window ledge high above. It flies away, but not before a shiver has run down your spine: in Holmgard, the crow is a bird of ill omen.

  The Game Rules

  You keep a record of your adventure on the Action Chart.

  During your training as a Kai Lord 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 will already have your COMBAT SKILL, ENDURANCE points, and Kai Disciplines which you can now carry over with you to Book 4. You may also carry over any Weapons and Special Items that you held 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 may choose one bonus Kai Discipline to add to your Action Chart for every Lone Wolf adventure you have successfully completed; then read the section on equipment for Book 4 carefully.

  Kai Disciplines

  Over the centuries, the Kai monks have mastered the skills of the warrior. These skills are known as the Kai Disciplines, and they are taught to all Kai Lords. You are a Kai initiate which means that you have learnt only five of the skills listed below. The choice of which five skills these are, is for you to make. As all of the Disciplines may be of use to you at some point on your perilous quest, pick your five with care. The correct use of a Discipline at the right time can save your life.

  When you have chosen your five Disciplines, enter them in the Kai Disciplines section of your Action Chart.

  Camouflage

  This Discipline enables a Kai Lord to blend in with his surroundings. In the countryside, he can hide undetected among trees and rocks and pass close to an enemy without being seen. In a town or city, it enables him to look and sound like a native of that area, and can help him to find shelter or a safe hiding place.

  If you choose this skill, write ‘Camouflage’ on your Action Chart.

  Hunting

  This skill ensures that a Kai Lord will never starve in the wild. He will always be able to hunt for food for himself except in areas of wasteland and desert. You are aware that the Wildlands south of the Pass of Moytura are a wasteland and that opportunities for successful hunting may not arise until you reach the Ruanon Forest. But this skill is still very useful for it also enables a Kai Lord to move with great speed and dexterity.

  If you choose this skill, write ‘Hunting’ on your Action Chart.

  Sixth Sense

  This skill may warn a Kai Lord of imminent danger. It may also reveal the true purpose of a stranger or strange object encountered in your adventure.

  If you choose this skill, write ‘Sixth Sense’ on your Action Chart.

  Tracking

  This skill enables a Kai Lord to make the correct choice of a path in the wild, to discover the location of a person or object in a town or city and to read the secrets of footprints or tracks.

  If you choose this skill, write ‘Tracking’ on your Action Chart.

  Healing

  This Discipline can be used to restore ENDURANCE points lost in combat. If you possess this skill, you may restore 1 ENDURANCE point to your total for every numbered section of the book you pass through in which you are not involved in combat. (This is only to be used after your ENDURANCE has fallen below its original level.) Remember that your ENDURANCE cannot rise above its original level.

  If you choose this skill, write ‘Healing: +1 ENDURANCE point for each section without combat’ on your Action Chart.

  Weaponskill

  Upon entering the Kai Monastery, each initiate was taught to master one type of weapon. If Weaponskill is to be one of your Kai Disciplines, pick a number in the usual way from the Random Number Table, and then find the corresponding weapon from the list below. This is the weapon in which you have skill. When you enter combat carrying this weapon, you add 2 points to your COMBAT SKILL.

  The fact that you are skilled with a weapon does not mean that you set out on this adventure carrying it, but you will have opportunities to acquire weapons in the course of your adventure. You cannot carry more than 2 weapons.

  If you choose this skill, write ‘Weaponskill in _______ +2 COMBAT SKILL points if this weapon carried’ on your Action Chart.

  Mindshield

  Some of the hostile creatures of Magnamund have the ability to attack you using their Mindforce. The Kai Discipline of Mindshield prevents you from losing any ENDURANCE points when subjected to this form of attack.

  If you choose this skill, write ‘Mindshield: no points lost when attacked by Mindblast’ on your Action Chart.

  Mindblast

  This enables a Kai Lord to attack an enemy using the force of his mind. It can be used at the same time as normal combat weapons and adds two extra points to your COMBAT SKILL. Not all the creatures encountered on this adventure will be harmed by Mindblast. You will be told if a creature is immune.

  If you choose this skill, write ‘Mindblast: +2 COMBAT SKILL points’ on your Action Chart.

  Animal Kinship

  This skill enables a Kai Lord to communicate with some animals and to be able to guess the intentions of others.

  If you choose this skill, write ‘Animal Kinship’ on your Action Chart.

  Mind Over Matter

  Mastery of this Discipline enables a Kai Lord to move small objects with his powers of concentration.

  If you choose this skill, write ‘Mind Over Matter’ on your Action Chart.

  If you successfully complete the mission as set in Book 4 of Lone Wolf, you may add a further Kai Discipline of your choice to your Action Chart in Book 5. This additional skill, together with your other skills and any Special Items that you have found, may then be used in the next adventure in the Lone Wolf series which is called Shadow on the Sand.

  Equipment

  Before leaving Holmgard on your ride south, you are given a Map of the Southlands, a Badge of Rank that you wear u
pon the sleeve of your tunic, and a pouch of gold. To find out how much gold is in the pouch, pick a number from the Random Number Table. Now add 10 to the number you have picked. The total equals the number of Gold Crowns inside the pouch, and you may now enter this number in the ‘Gold Crowns’ section of your Action Chart. (If you have successfully completed previous Lone Wolf adventures, you may add this sum to the total of any Crowns you may already possess. Remember you can only carry a maximum of fifty Crowns.)

  You may take your pick of the following items (in addition to those you already possess, but remember you may only carry two weapons). You may take up to six of the following:

  Warhammer (Weapons)

  Dagger (Weapons)

  2 Potions of Laumspur (Backpack Items). Each of these potions restores 4 ENDURANCE points to your total when swallowed after combat. Each potion contains enough for one dose.

  Sword (Weapons)

  Spear (Weapons)

  5 Special Rations (Meals). Each of these Special Rations counts as one Meal, and each takes up one space in your Backpack.

  Mace (Weapons)

  Chainmail Waistcoat (Special Items). This adds 4 ENDURANCE points to your total.

  Shield (Special Items) This adds 2 points to your COMBAT SKILL when used in combat.