## The Story So Far . . .

You are Kai Master Lone Wolf--last of the Kai Lords of Sommerlund and the sole survivor of a massacre that destroyed your warrior kinsmen during a bitter war with your age-old enemies, the Darklords of Helgedad.

Three years have passed since your triumph over the Darklord Haakon at the Tomb of the Majhan, and for the northern realm of Sommerlund, these have been three years of peace and prosperity. Since Haakon's defeat, the power of the Darklords has waned. Rumours abound that a civil war rages in Helgedad, as the lesser Darklords fight for power and dominion over the city. However, it is a widely held belief in Sommerlund that your discovery of the lost Sommlending treasure, The Book of the Magnakai, is the real reason for their power struggle.

The Book of the Magnakai is legendary in Sommerlund. With the wisdom of the Magnakai, Sun Eagle, the first Kai Grand Master, instilled the disciplines into the warriors of Sommerlund that were to protect your land from devastation at the hands of the Darklords. The Book of the Magnakai was lost hundreds of years ago, but its wisdom was kept alive, handed down through generations of Kai so that they too could share the strength to resist their eternal enemies.

When you discovered The Book of the Magnakai, you gave a solemn pledge to restore the Kai to their former glory and so ensure the security of your land in the years to come. You returned to your homeland and, in the seclusion of your monastery in the hills, set about the study of the Magnakai Disciplines. It was an exacting task--a trial of physical strength and mental fortitude. The seasons came and went, but you were unaware of the passage of time, lost in your quest for the knowledge and the skills of your warrior kin. Three years of determined study pass, revealing the secrets of three of the Magnakai Disciplines. However, the others cannot be learnt by study alone, and in order to fulfil your pledge to restore the Kai, you must complete the quest first made by Sun Eagle over a thousand years ago. When he had finally completed his quest, he recorded all his experiences in The Book of the Magnakai, but the script has faded with the passing years and now few words remain to guide you.

'Seek and find the Lorestone of Varetta, for this alone holds the power and the wisdom . . .' are the few words you can still decipher of the Grand Master's chronicle.

Although the verse is brief you are not without hope, for you recognize the name Varetta. It is one of the oldest cities of Magnamund, lying in the Stornlands beyond the Maakengorge, far to the south of Sommerlund. You realize that you must set out upon the quest without delay, for the war in Helgedad will not last indefinitely, and the Darklords swore long ago to conquer your country and destroy your people. As soon as their civil strife is resolved, the victorious lords of evil will turn on Sommerlund and summon the creatures of the Dark Realm to thwart your quest. You must therefore act quickly and with secrecy, for your life and the future of Sommerlund depends on your success.

And so, guided by the words of your ancient mentor and with the shadow of the Darklords ever present, you set out on the quest for the Lorestone of Varetta, unaware of the wonders and the horrors that await you in the Stornlands.

Text copyright © 1985 Joe Dever.
Illustrations copyright © 1985 Gary Chalk.