The Captives of Kaag

The Captives of Kaag – Attempt 1, Part 5

Aussiesmurf

Here [we] go again….

Sorry, I just googled “show me the music video that most represents the 80s”, and that was the first result…… (and the second, third and fourth)

Aside : Read “I Want My MTV” by Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum for an awesome oral history of the MTV years.  It is awesome.

In any event, after closely consulting the near-unanimous results of my Facebook and WordPress queries, I have gone with the consensus and confirmed that the tongue-twistingly-named Xaghash are not, in fact, undead, and that therefore my MEGASWORD does NOT cause double damage.

The practical effect of this is that I conclude my prior entry with an Endurance level of 18, and not 23 (EDITED DUE TO STUPID TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR).

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But hey, I’ve got a Green Key!!

The next room has an odd arrangement where there are holes in the floor and ceiling, with vines growing through both of them.  There is also a lateral passageway leading out of the room on a straight basis.

For some reason there is no option given to climb the vines down, but rather only to choose between going up, or walking through the lateral tunnel.

Following my determination not to go up until the last possible minute, I walk forward.

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The tunnel carries on and opens onto a hall with the (now familiar to me) shimmering column of light leading up and and down.

My Kai instincts, if not my memory, confirm that this light can be used as a method of transportation (as well as, presumably, invigoration).  I can either step into the light (something reminiscent of almost every religious myth out there) or simply keep walking.

I defy the temptation of taking the short-cut of ‘beaming’!  You know why?  THIS is why :

I instead follow a tunnel north, before seeing that a statue of Zagarna has fallen across the entrance, blocking same with boulders.

I am given no choice other than to physically clear the entrance of wreckage (Mind Over Matter is obviously not a factor here for some reason…) and I lose (R10-1)=2 Endurance due to fatigue.

Beyond the rubble is a chamber made-up of blue-green stone, with a mosaic constructed to look like an octopus.  There is an undeniable aura of magic in the room, so I naturally draw my anti-magic talisman, being the Sommerswerd.

Oh, yeah, bring it on!

 

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Just as I was starting the get cocky, a melodramatic voice asks me a gamebook-esque riddle :

Which Darklord of Kaag (that Kaag part may be important) do I call master?

The choices are : Zagarna, Slutar or not to answer at all.

Well, since the statue of Zagarna was observed as being shattered in the last paragraph, I’m going to go with Slutar.

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Well, the good news is that I don’t get obliterated immediately.

The bad news is that the disembodied voice demands that I produce some kind of proof of allegiance to my master.

And there is no word on whether a green lightsaber will be sufficient in this regard.

So there!  I have a green laser sword!!

Humph!

That threat was a lot more bad-ass in 1983…..

Since I do not possess a statue of Slutar, I prepare myself for the worst.  The voice basically tells me that I’m going to die (another moment that is reminiscent of my ex), while the mosaic comes to life (didn’t see that coming, no siree, bob) and it buffets me with psychic power.

Although my basic Kai skills help me with the initial assault,  my attempt to hit the creature IN THE FACE is hampered by a blast of clear liquid from the creature’s beak which, naturally, is directed AT.  MY. FACE.

I reluctantly confirm that I do not possess the Grand Nexus discipline, and the acidic liquid penetrates my body, causing a loss of 5 Endurance  The book, in somewhat less polite tones than I would have liked, confirms that is is only my ‘lesser’ Kai skills which have saved me from

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As I worry about my life, I manage to observe that the creature has now depleted its venom source, and I emerge from my hiding spot to face my adversary.

As I nock my Bow (after being prompted by the book), I retreat to a watery pool, under the assault of a bunch of tentacles.

Suddenly, my Disciplines allow me to perceive that the ‘pool’ is in fact made up of a clear fluid that is clear, oily and……highly flammable.

I ensure that the pool explodes,  before covering my face with my cloak and stealing away from this place of destruction.

If any stray investigators find me, I will have only one, yet effective response :

 

Basic Stats : CS : 23, E : 33, GC 0

Current Stats : CS : 41/41, E : 19/34

Weapons : Sword, Dagger

Weapon-Like Special Items : Silver Bow of Duadon (+3), Sommerswerd (+8 CS), Dagger of Vashna

Backpack : Lantern, Potions of Laumspur (+4E) (3), Meals (3)

Special Items :

1. Sommerswerd (+8 CS) (with Korlinium scabbard) 2. Crystal Star Pendant , 3. Dagger of Vashna 4. Quiver (4 arrows),  5. Statuette of Zagarna, 6. Green Key 7. EMPTY 8. EMPTY 9. Jewelled Mace, 10. Silver Bracers (+2 CS, +1 E) (6), 11. Golden Key 12. Silver Bow of Duadon.

Kai Monastery storage :

  • Backpack Items : Sack of Silver (3), Black Key, Jar Laumspur x5 (+4E), Jar Alether x4 (+2CS), Jar Gallowbrush x2 (Sleep and -2 Endurance), Jar Sabito x2 (Underwater breathing), Jar Laumwort x3 (+2 Endurance), Oede (+10E)
  • Special Items :

Grand Master Rank : Kai Grand Guardian

Grand Master Disciplines : Kai-surge, Kai-screen, Grand Huntmastery, Grand Pathsmanship, Kai-Alchemy.

Magnakai Disciplines : Weaponmastery (+4 CS in Sword, Bow, Mace, Dagger, Spear, Quarterstaff, Broadsword, Warhammer, Axe, Short Sword), Pathmanship, Huntmastery, Divination, Invisibility, Nexus, Psi-Screen, Psi-Surge, Curing, Animal Control

Lore-Circles : Fire (+1 CS, +2 E), Solaris (+1 CS, +3 E), Spirit  (+3 CS, +3 E)

Kai Disciplines : Camouflage, Animal Kinship, Tracking, Hunting, Sixth Sense, Healing, Mind Over Matter, Mindblast (+3CS), Mindshield, Weaponskill (+2 CS in Short Sword)

Current paragraph : 52

15 thoughts on “The Captives of Kaag – Attempt 1, Part 5”

  1. Once again I’ll reply to your Twitter feed here:

    HOLY BALLS!! I’m now remembering the T*A*C*K books, and the very story you referenced! Did they also do one with a slowest-to-finish bike race, where the kids had to figure out how to end the race quickly before the mean kids from the other school got violently restless?

    “Here I Go Again” is too polished to most represent the ’80s. I’m biased toward my favorite song from an early favorite band, but I’ll go with Def Leppard’s “Foolin”. The concert footage interspersed with a skull-and-witches theme. The awesomely cheesy special effects (the band is jumping out of a hole to a standing position! Amazing, and not at all footage being run backward.) Joe Elliot being explosively freed from bondage, but not before the most gratuitous closeup footage of rock frontman crotch ever, at least until the Chili Peppers “Give It Away” video. Vest with no shirt, etc.

    R.I.P. Malcolm Young

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    1. That bike race thing was a logic problem long before TACK got a hold of it.

      Here I Go Again has (1) Huge Hair (2) Power ballad with falsetto vocals (3) Completely gratuitous beautiful woman (4) Fast cars (5)
      Guitar solo. (6) Polished production.

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  2. “I just googled “show me the music video that most represents the 80s”, and that was the first result”

    “Here I Go Again has (1) Huge Hair (2) Power ballad with falsetto vocals (3) Completely gratuitous beautiful woman (4) Fast cars (5) Guitar solo. (6) Polished production.”

    I know I lived in the 80’s but I seem to have totally missed all of that. Too much time playing gamebooks and computer games, not to mention starring in a Rock Musical (Yes I did! Mum was the choeographer and wanted a dancer). I have vague memories of some in my school having hair like that, esp around 85/86 but having seen Hair I’d viewed that as just being so 60’s (aka totally unoriginal). BTW: Numbers 3, 4 and 6 aren’t limited to the 80’s.

    “I conclude my prior entry with an Endurance level of 23, and not 18…. But hey, I’ve got a Green Key!!”

    So while you’re more likely to die horrible, and stupidly, at least you can now go through the Green Door

    That’s the sort of music video I was watching in the 80’s (thank you Betamax).

    “I can either step into the light (something reminiscent of almost every religious myth out there) or simply keep walking.”

    Keep away from the Light!!!

    Then beaming! “Lock one, Lock two, Lock three, Loch Lomond” Ok. Now I’ve got to see that movie. I had no intention of seeing that movie (turned off by the name since 1987) but now I have to.

    “I am given no choice other than to physically clear the entrance of wreckage … and I lose (R10-1)=2 Endurance due to fatigue.”

    The Gamemaster gave you several opportunites to go up, you preferred to powerwalk like a boss, fear the wrath of the Gamemaster!!!!

    Nice Star Wars ref, the real shame is that you could have produced proof of your allegiance to Darklord Zagarna. BTW, fairplay to the people in Project Aon who worked out how you could also set fire to the pool using Magi-Magic (what’s the betting Paido would have ended up setting you on fire in the process).

    “If any stray investigators find me, I will have only one, yet effective response :”

    And if they don’t accept the word of a horse stealing, packratting, friend of a card cheating slaver then who will they trust?

    Roll on next post.

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    1. I am legit amazed that you have never seen Spaceballs. As a Star Wars fanatic, I can’t remember how many times I laughed loud and long…..I won’t spoil it for you, but it is simply wonderful (it also has pot-shots at Alien, Planet of the Apes, Transformers, Lawrence of Arabia and even references the works of Franz Kafka.

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      4. Favourite parts??? Quotes are not exact

        1) Spotty businesslike: “Lock 1, Lock 2, Lock 3” Warm mellow voice “Loch Lomond”
        2) Dot Matrix : “All you have to do is say yes and then pretend you have a headache for the next twenty five years”
        3) Happy Female Voice “Thank you for activating the Self Destruct sequence”
        4) Big Helmet’s faces to and comments about the president … they were where the movie was real.
        5) Big Helmet: “How many assholes are on this ship?” Entire Crew: “Yo!”
        6) When Alien breaks out of chest man says “Oh No, not again”
        7) Barf hurriedly changing his order and Lone Star’s deadpan “Good Call”
        8) When being fired upon Princess declares: “I don’t have to put up with this, I’m rich!”
        9) Slaying of a member of the filming crew during the Schwartzsabre fight.
        10) Use of the Wilhelm scream
        11) Colonel Sanderz and Big Helmet’s back and forths were brilliant.

        The more I type the more bits I remember. Will definitely watch again. Cheers (and apologies for triple posting of Tired Homer Punching).

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  3. Here i go again! Used to play it with my band. You have to know that i play in a band and we play only 80’s great hair metal songs, in order to “evangelize” young people to the real and bad ass music!! Let’s check it out! Search for “7lapstogo” on facebook and start laughing 😉 Hope Lone Wolf could avoid dangers and kill that octobus! Let’s go 😉

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      1. Geez Louise (to quote Marge Simpson). My computer is acting up … and I’m being stupid. Matteo, I apologise, I meant to use the following picture

        and to ask which one you are. By no means was homer sleeping/grumpy referring to your stuff.

        Anyway, which one are you?

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  5. So at work the tills/checkouts are all part of one counter and there’s a radio kept there for those who can’t stand the sound of their own thoughts (clue as to my view of the radio), but at one point today I thought “I know that tune????”. Sure enough it was “Here I go again”. It sounded really good pounding out of the Radio there.

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