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                                        TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome . . • . . . • . . • . . . . . . ••. ... . . . . . . .•.. . 1                    STAFF
   by Stewart Wieck                                                           Editor -i n - Chi e f :
Runes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ••. • • . . . . • . . . . .   2
                                                                                Stewart Wieck
   by Stewart Wieck                                                           Contributing Editors :
Items for Any Realm . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . 3                     Stephan Wieck
   by Stewart Wieck                                                                      &
         Stephan Wieck                                                             Dale Cook
         & Dale Cook
Subscription Information . . . . . . . ... . . . . . 8
GRISLICK MOUNTAIN . . . . . . . .,,. . . . . . . . . ... . . 9
   by    St .e~h.a_n    Wieck
Submission Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 23
Beasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. · ·· ... ·· ... . 24
   by Benjamin Combee
Author Spotlight On : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
   by Stephan Wieck
Advertisemen t (White Wolf Publishing) .. 31
Computers Are a Good Thing to Have
             Around ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 32
   by Dale Cook
Reader Questionaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
   by Stewart Wieck
Art Credits :
Cover, pages: 4, 5, 7, and 30
   by Johnny R.            Morgan III
                                    Copyright 1986 by:
                                    White Wolf Publishing
                                     119 Stonecrest Drive
                                     Rocky Face, GA 30740
                                                              -1-
                       WELCOME
      Welcome to the first issue of White Wolf!
What you now hold in your hands constitutes · a          -
lot of work by too few       peop~e.    White Wolf is
the brainchild of three p e ople, people whose
names appear again and again in the Table of
Contents: myself, Stewart Wieck; Stephan Wieck;
and Dale Cook.
      White Wolf is being written for those who
enjoy RPGs .       Our greatest strength lies in the
fact that we belong to no company,         so we can
publish information for any game !         Please look
elsewhere in this magazine for the reader ques-
tionaire form.       We NEED your re s ponse if we are
going to be able to publish what you want to read.
     White Wolf should be able to remain on a
monthly schedule,       so you can look forward to it
regularily (especially if you get a submission!).
     White Wolf Publishing is a small company at
the present time.       This means that we need to
grow, and grow rapidly if we are to survive in
today ' s world.     Past buying issues of White Wolf,
there are other . ways that you can help us .          Tell
anyone that you know, that might be interested in
this magazine, about us.         You could also post a
little memo in the local game shop with our address
on it.    Anything that spreads our name would be
thankfully recieved by us.
     I hope th a t    you enjoy this first issue of
White Wolf;    I   see no reason why you shouldn't
though,   for it includes an entire AD&D scenario
(you get that much and more for only a little
more than one buck; what a deal!).
                            RUNES                                       -2-
                      Personality over Power
     So often it is tempting to place items and abilities of ridiculous
power at the disposal of the players in your campaign. "Well·, .they are
high level characters" you reason . This reasoning is not sound. Such
a thought is the beginning of that which will germinate into what has been
called a 'Monty Haul' campaign . This is, basically, a campaign in which
the characters have grown to be too powerful to be controlled within the
boundaries of good role-playing.
     Power and the acquisition of money should not be the major goal in
any role-playing campaign . A Game Master who promotes such is a very poor
Game Master . The title under which all of these games in question falls
under aptly states the intended focus of the games. They are called ROLE-
PLAYING games. Role-playing , then , is logically the focus of these games .
     The real challenge in a role-playing game is not presented by the
powerful beasts you may face . Anyone, ANYONE, can roll a die and walk a
cardboard character through a dungeon. The real challenges of role-playing
games dwell within the realm of personality. How believeable, how convincing,
can make your character.
     You should use your mind to gain your satisfaction while playing role-
playing games. This is not to say that combat, magic, and arcane artifacts
don't have their places in role-playing games, for often a magical sword (of
whatever power) will help give your character ' flavor '. Instead, this is
only meant to point out how often a character becomes nothing other than a
sheet of statistics to be manipulated by a player. We are all guilty of
having done this at one time or another, but, please, try to develop your
character's personality, and quit worrying so much about hit points, level,
armor class, etc. Pay more attention to the characteristics of a character
that enhance or contribute to his personality . An example is alignment.
Choose your character ' s alignment carefully, for it is the basis for a major
portion of personality.
     I challenge each and everyone of you reading this to name one quality
that character power has over character personality as a game focus . If
you cannot think of one immediately and/or do not spend much time trying to
think of one, then maybe, just maybe, you don't have Monty Haul Syndrome .
                                                                        -3 -
                                 AN
         Among the many things that can make any campaign
    enjoyable are magical items.       All magic-items, over a
    period of time, become over - used and,     finally,   stale.
    In fact,    if you are a dedicated gamer,    the items de-
    tailed in Unearthed Arcana (for AD&D players) mny al -
    ready be in this sort of condition for you.          WHITE
    WOLF will periodically try to provide new and inno -
    vative magic items for its readers so their campaigns
    never go stale!     Normally, D&D and AD&D items will be
    presented, but, as in all things concerning this mag-
    azine, we are open to suggestions.
                            Tatrix--
         Tatrix,    as he likes to be called,    is,   simply put,
    an amazing person.     He is terribly intelligent (INT 18),
    an exciting conversationalist,     and a wonderful spellcaster
    (as he is an archmage) .    Unfortunately, his soul currently
    resides within a longsword where it was trapped by a rival
    magician.    This entrapment has all but ruined his spell-
    casting ability and has certainly wreaked havoc on his
    social life.
         Tatrix, however,    still retains many abilities: 1) at
    will he may detect magic (3" radius),       2) project himself
    (and his wielder) astrally once every three months,           and
    3) he may form a    telepathic link with anyone on the same
•   plane of existence provided that he has had previous per -
    sonal contact with that person .      He is aligned neutrally
    and he has yet to devote himself to a particular god.
         The sword he is trapped within is a +3 longsword.
    It is made of an unknown (even to Tatrix),         dull,   black
    metal and has silver runes that run along both sides of
    the blade.     It has a matching scabbard of black leather .
         Tatrix's goal is to find a magic-user powerful enough
                                                                    -4-
to release him .      He is never with one    i~~ividual   long
enough to accomplish -much towards this end, hQwever,
as most find it disturbing to own a sword that "is
actually a person.       He is over three hundred years old
and has been passed down a line of very powerful people .
                          Sword of Bone--
      This sword is believed to have been created from
the bone of a powerful demon.       The hilt and blade of
this longsword have been fashioned from a single piece
of ivory bone and it has been magically strengthened
so as to be virtually unbreakable.          Its grip is wrapped
in ancient leather and a large ruby adorns the pommel.
      The   weapo~   is +3 and the wounds it creates bleed
2 hit points per round as do wounds created by swords
of woundin g .    In addition, the sword confers the effects
of vampric regeneration (as the ring) on its wielder .
This last power is only conveyed to the wielder when
the sword of b one strikes a creature that bleeds.          Also,
as the regeneration is in progress blood is soaked up
by the sword, causing it to turn red (or whatever color
the blood is) .      The stain fades after 1 turn if no more
b l ood is soaked up.     The ruby on the pommel also protects
the sword ' s wielder as a ring of fire resistance.
                                                                     -5-
                         Horn of the Unicorn--
        This magical item is very rare, mainly       ~ecause   its
production requires an actual unicorn ' s horn.        ·After the
proper magics have been applied to the horn then it can
"w ield " itself to its owner's forhead three times per
day .    Each "wielding" l asts for one turn.       The horn may
be used as a weapon when it is on a person ' s forhead.
Norma l ly it will do ldlO damage, but the attacker must
apply his non-proficiency penalty to the attack chance.
If the character decides to spend a proficiency slot in
order to learn how to truly use the horn as a weapon then
it wi l l   do ldl2 damage (in addition to removin g the non -
proficiency penalty).      Also,   once its use is learned this
way,    the owner may charge and strike with the horn for
double damage.      When it is on a person's forhead,      that
person is immune to all poisons.
                       407/L   c;~·
                          i-0~ Z:uctY11L
                         Gl ove of Good/Evil Deed- -
        This item is    nc;tuQlly a cursed item .    Its effect3
vary according to the alignment of the wearer .          The glove
will cause good characters to commit an evil deed and an
evil character a good deed.        Neutrals are unaffected.
There is no saving throw versus the effect s .         In order
                                                                      -6-
to help a character complete his assigned deed,             the
glove will function as gauntlets of ogre           pow~r   until
the c omp 1 e t ion of the deed .    The extent of the ·deed.. -
required is left totally - to the DM, but it should be
something that is not easily accomplished.
                          Dragon Nectar--
      This edible substance is usable only by dragons
and their close kin .      Once the nectar is consumed, the
next three usages of his breath weapon will be at max-
imum potency regardless of whether he has taken any
damage (the damage will always be equal to his full
hit point total).      The substance's effects wear off
after three days whether used or not.
      Mages often produce dragon nectar to use as barter
for the dragon's service or another item of the wyrm's
vast treasure.
      Any dragon can immediately detect any contamination
(poison,    etc.) in dragon nectar, but such contaminations
will not affect the dragon and the nectar will still be
usable.     The person trying to give such contaminated
nectar to a dragon will probably discover first hand how
well it functions.
                          Morningstar of Doom --
      This unique weapon (called Omdigrin) has its origin
shrouded in orcish myths.           It behaves as a morningstar +2,
but also has two special abilities .          First,   its wielder
can command it to whirl, whereupon the ball and chain will
begin to spin perpindicular to the handle.             The ball and
chain spin so swiftly that they form a sort of protective
shield for    the wielder.    Subtract two from the AC of the
wielder in this case.        The second power is very deadly to an
opponent:    once per day the morninstar can be used to deliver
a harm soell upon a successfully struck opponent .
                                                                    -7-
                        Ring of Deceptive    ~ction--
     Though this item is most useful to thiev e s,       any
class could discover many uses for it .       The ring   c~~ates,
upon command,    small illusions that mask simple actions.
For example:    a thief could walk towards someone whose
pocket he intends to pick and so pick the poc ke t       while
commanding the ring to make it appear that hi s arms are
straight down by his sides .    Other uses include : secretly
drawing a weapon or prepare spell components,        slip out of
bonds while apparently doing nothing,       etc.   The ring has
no charges,    so it may be used indefinitly.
                        Bauble of Past Sight--
     This glass bauble allows its user to view e v e nts that
have alread y taken place.     The user must be at th e l ocation
that the e vent took place.     The base chance for the b auble
to perform correctly is 757..     This chance is adjusted as
follows : +li./ INT of the user and -2i./ hour in the past of
the event.     Only one entity may use the bauble at a time .
If the bauble functions properly,     then holograms or spirit
forms will appear and play out the event.          The scene may
encompass an area a s large a s a 2" radius and it lasts for
one turn.     A new roll must b e made if one wi s hes to view the
event longer than one turn,     but after the fir s t    use a cumal-
ative -lOi. is in affect.     There are said to be baubles of
future sight, but these are most likely only rumors .
                                              -8-
              S/JBSCRI'PlIONS
            (o~ 4Ln~Le L44Ue4)
                    to
               WH17[. WOLF
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end L4 Ln 4L~ht fo~ WhLte WoLf. But,
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an~whe~e~ WhLte WoLf L4 4tLLL avaL-
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tLnue to 6e packed ca~efuLL~ Ln Ln-
dLvLduaL enveLope4 fo~ 4afe 4hLppLn~.
TeLL an~one ~ou know a6out WhLte WoLf,
o~, 6ette~ ~et, 6u~ them a 4u64c~Lp
tLon. ~ate4 a~e a4 foLLow4:
        1.50/       4Ln~Le    L44ue
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                    4end to:
                 WHIT[. WOLF
        119      Stonec~e4t v~.
        ~ockv       Face,    ~A   30740
*= except a few 4eiected outLet4
                                    -9 -
(i   'R I 5 L I C K     (!}   7 .
An    adventu~e   Ln whLch
o~c~    a~e   ~Lven a new
and    bette~ Lma~e .
An    adventu~e    Ln whLch
o~c~ ~hall      attempt to
de/~    the   hL~to~~ book~ .
An adventu~e Ln whLch
the pa~tLcLpant cha~ 
acte~~ hope the hL~
toR~ book~ aRe coRRect.
                                                                                    - 10-
                       ~ ~   I 5 LI CK      ~   0 0 NTAI N
            Before we delve into the adventure,            it is neccessary
    to redefine the ore as an opponent to a character.                   At some
    point in their career , most DMs fall into the rut of making
    orcs unintelligent cannon (or sword, as it were) fodder .
    This terrible mental disorder (which I               too suffered from
    at one time) mainly comes from boredom.                As beginning char-
    ac te rs ,    the players become used to fighting orcs and they
    become a staple monster.           The DM gets sick of them and it
    becomes difficult to describe each and every ore to the
    players as being a loathsome , beastia l             humanoid .    Yet,   if,
    as the DM,       you do not give life to every ore,            the players
    begin to see orcs as something that the gods placed on the
    land to stop sword swings with their bodies .
i
            So,    let's redefine the ore before you read the adventure .
    Orcs are Lawful Evil,           so they work together towards a common
    goal using evil methods ( t hat          business in the Monst er         Manual
    about them attacking one another 75% of the time is pure
    malarky) .       They are fierce,     competitive,     and do fight amongst
    themselves in tribal warfares, but they do not (chaotically)
    attack one another on sight.Orcs average an intelligence of
    8 or 9, but the leaders tend to be smarter .                  And , all orcs are
    cunning.        Orcs,    like player characters,      e n joy living ;    they like
    to stay a l ive.         If an ore is stabbed in combat by a · bro~·~word
    wielding,       armored fighter and is reduced to two hit points,                 he's
    going to retreat , not stand there and wait for the coup de
    grace .       Orcs will ambush characters, protect their lairs with
    lethal or incapacitating traps , and,            if in combat,      look for             1T
    superior posi t ions .
            Something should also be said about the impression that
    an ore tries to convey.            The impression is something like that
    of a Nazi SS soldier: fearsome,             elite,   cruel~    and powerful .
    Orcs,     of course, 4 on ' t    goose-step about in black uniforms,
    but the impression is similar .             Orcs have fun inventing ways
                                                                      -11-
to torment other beings.        They make wagers on which prisoner
can grasp a burning - hot coal the longest.        The losers are
killed to give incentives .                              . .. .
                                                            ~
        Orcs wear skins or leather clothing .      Most are pigish
looking with grotesque, slimy snouts.          Leaders tend to have
coarser, thicker hair and snouts (more like a boar).              Under-
standably, wereboar lycanthropy is one of the leading dis-
eases among orcs.
        This adventure is meant to revitalize the ore as a
creature in a campaign where they have gone stale (or thought
to be an easy fight) .       The more naive the party to the true
dangers orcs can represent,       the better (for the orcs anyway) .
So, crank out those       descr~tive   words and remember: every ore
loves living just as much as killing.
INTRODUCTION--
        "Kallen Tor ,   this book sJ.ys that there was once a tr).be
of orcs on Grislick Mountain," Menelaus called.
        " I see that you find that hard to believe my young pupil,
but, yes,    it is true .    The ore tribe called The Black Nail
once ruled the mountain and disrupted the trade through
Shallanor Pass that was so precious to Corbas .         In that past
time,    Corbas was not as large a trading city as you now live
in, but just a small town struggling to gain trade from the
east."     The sage stopped and pondered, remembering old fables.
He stroked his dark beard and continued,         "Sit back a moment
Menelaus and hear a tale of heroes.          The Black Nail was not
very large as ore tribes go, but they were the vilest of their               1T
kind.     They strangled trade which was passing through the pass
by attacking the caravans which were coming to Corbas.              Corbas
became desperate.       Luckily, even in those times,    there were
hero~s    who could purge the land of such menaces.        Some of these
heroes:    [name the party members], attacked the mountain.           The
orcs were not defenseless,       but the heroes finally succeeded in
                                                                            -12-
    cleansing Grislick Mountain ."
•
         "What did these heroes recieve?" Menelau·s asked,
    eyes bright with expectation.
         "Menelaus,    I'm shocked.          Don't you recognize the names
    of the great heroes I mentioned?             Do you think [name one
    greedy character] would require money from an economically
    desperate town just because he saved it?             The heroes all
    receved the greatest, richest award of all:            gratitude.
    Don't you agree?"
         Tell th e players that the history books have already
    been written in their favor,            so they had better live up to
    their legend.
    THE ADVENTURE
         Grislick Mountain is actu a lly a series of ascending
    steppes that are about 80 vertical feet apart .             The Black
    Nail tribe is camped upon the highest inhabitable steppe.
    Intruders will be dealt with on the lower steppes by
    sentries and initial detatchments .
                                    .
                                  ....
         Th e mountain itself is situated in the middle of
    Shallamor Pass, the only pass throu g h a long range of north-
    south running mountains .            Traders use the pass to take their
    wares to the small costal town of Co rbas.            The orcs have
    been restricting    pass~gc    t~rou g h    th e pass for some time
    now, so the town has sent the characters to Grislick.
         The characters may wish to set a trap for the orcs by
    guarding a caravan that passes throu g h Shallamor .           If so,
    twenty orcs will attack the caravan (see The Tribe section
    for stats on the orcs).       The orcs will probably have to
    retreat in the face of a frontal as s ault by the ch~rcaters.
    Do not reduce the number of orcs on Grislick itself, even if
    the party kills some of the caravan raiding party members .
                                                                             -13-
          Thieves will find climbing the cliffs walls of Grislick
•
    to be a true test.      The grey shale of the clfff face breaks
    easily so half the thief's chanc e to climb         walls~   · Also,
    there might just happen to be an ore at the top of the cliff
    who will tumble rocks down upon the thief (hit AC 8 for ld8
    damage).      The ore will not unduly expose himself to missle fire .
          Finally, earth spirits have an ancient and evil history
    at Grislick Mountain.      Earth based spells cause +1 damage/ die
    and -1 saving throw modifiers are in      ~ffect     for those resist-
    ing the spell.      Air based spells will not operate on our
    around Grislick Mountain (gust of wind,       zephyr, etc . ) .        All
    forms of magical flight,     no matter what the source, do not
    function on Grislick Mountain .
    TnE TRIBE
•
         The Black Nai l    tribe is a nasty b unch .     They are excep-
    tionally intelligent and organized.       At the moment they are
    having trouble with wereboar lycanthro py , mainly becaus e it
    is being spread among the warriors by Orginash,          the head
    shaman.     Use the following statistics, where appropriate,             in
    the adventure .
    Black Nail Warrior: AC 6 (studded leat he r     and medium shield),
      HD 1 ,   hp 7 each, #att 1, dm 1-8 (saber) or l-4 (dagge r).
         Their shields are painted with crude scenes of torture
    and death .    Their finger/toe nails are pa inted black.          They
    are all piggish looking and about 6%'      tall .     Some of the
    warri ors might a lso be armed with any of the following :
    short bow (1-6 dm),     spear (1-6), or spetum (2-7).
         For every five orcs there will usually be a sub -commander .
    Sub- commander : AC 4 (chain and shield), HD 2, hp 12 , #att 1,
      dm ld8+1 (saber plus strength).
                                                                                   -14-
              There are two sub - chiefs :                                        :.
              Magriskas: AC 4 (chainmail and shield),         F lv 4 , hp 31,
      dm 2-7 (+2 -     from weapon and strength),        carries a footman ' s
      mace +1 .
              lCrune: AC 4 (splintmail),      F lv 4, hp 29, 1/att 3/2,
      dm 1-10+3 (strength and specialization) .            Krune carries a
      two-handed sword with which he is specialized and thus
      recieves a bonus of +1 "t o hit".          He also has a poisoned
      throwing dagger.       The dagger does 1-3 (+1) and the victim
      must save versus poison or be paralyzed and die in pain
      after 1-6 rounds.
              And the chieftain :
              Bashikrom : AC 2 (splintmail +2),      F lv 8, hp 52, fiatt
      2/1,    dm 1-8 (+7 -   from strength,     magic,   and specialization)
      plus wounding affects also,.           Bashikrom has a battleaxe +1
...
      of wounding which he wields with great skill (double spec-
      ialization).      He wears a leathern collar about his neck
      which protects him from the severing abilities of vorpal
      and sharpness blades (not just his neck but his other limbs
      also).      Upon his head he wears a 3reat iron helmet with a
      full face screen .     The helmet has an engraving of a single ,
      large eye on the forhead.        Bashikrom is a full seven feet
      tall.
              There are three shamans.        Orginash is the head shaman
      among them :
              Orginash : AC 8 (leather), Cleric lv 6,        hp 28, dm 2 - 5
      (+1 -from a hammer +1).
      Spells- 5 lst,     3 2nd,   and 2 3rd:
        1st- Command, Detect Magic,          Sanctuary, Cause Lt. Wounds,
      Cure Lt .   Wounds .
        2nd- Hold Person,      Know Alignment,     Silence 15'    radius.
        3rd- Prayer,     Di sp el Magic.
              Orginash carries with him at all times a disk with the
      engraving of an eye upon it.           Once every three rounds,       the
                                                                               - 15-
disc can fire a 30' beam of black energy which · causes a
serious wound (as the spell) to whatever             pers~n    it hits .
The beam must be shot at a single target and a               .s1,1c~. ~ssful
save versus magic will reduce the damage done to a light
wound.    The disc is useless to all but orcish priests.
      Orginash is guarded personally by a wereboar/orc
warrior: AC 4, HD 5+2, hp 30, dm 2-12,           only hit by silver
or magical weapons .      The ore is similar to a sub-commander
when in orcish form (a rare sight when battle is nearby) .
      Shaman #1: AC 8,     Cleric lv 3, hp 10, dm 2-5 (hammer).
Spells- 3 1st, 1 2nd :
  1st- Sanctuary,      Cause Lt . Wounds,    Command .
  2nd- Silence 15' radius.
      Shaman #2: AC 7,     Cleric lv 3, hp 13, dm 2-5 (hammer).
Spells- 3 lst, 1 2nd.
  1st-Cause fear,      Cure Lt . Wounds, Sanctuary.
  2nd- Silence 15 '     Radius.
      Women.of the Black Nails Tribe : AC 8,           HD 1 , hp 4,       dm
1-6 (clubs).
      Young of the tribe : AC 8 , HD ~ '      hp 3, dm 1-3 (sticks)
or thrown stones which cause 1 point only (but two                 ~uch
attacks may be made) .
IMPORTANT NOTE : Because of their out of doors living,                   the
orcs of this tribe are not subject to the "to hit " penalty
normally recieved by orcs for outdoor f i ghting .
      Treasure:     for the tribe's treasure refer to the
description of the Village.
                                                                                       1T
      Warrio~ s-    2-12 electrum each.
      Sub- Commanders- 2-12 e . p.,      and 2-8 g.p.
      Shaman~-     same as sub-commanders .
      Magriskas- 12 g . p.,   4 p.p.,    SO g . p.   gem ,    45 g.p .    gold
chain .
      Krune : 10 g . p ., 6 P·P·•   200 g.p . onyx and gold ring.
      Bashikrom: 10 g .p. , 12 p . p.,    500 g.p . sapphire.
                                                                                            -16 -
AREA DESCRI P TIONS (refer to the map at the adventure's end)
SIGN                                                                            ···.·
1.     A crude canyon splits through                   the mountain's lower
steppes and runs northward .                 At this point a bizzarre scene
is immediately apparent: a slogan is painted on a flat slab
of rock that is propped up in the middle of the entrance
path.     In both common and orcish it reads:
                       The BLack NaLL4 we a~e
                       Them who ente~ 6ewa~ .
        Several scores of wooden s p lints have been driven into
the ground all-around the sign.                     On each s plint is a rotting
human finger whose nail is painted bl a c k .                         All of the fingers
point at the slab of rock .
LOG
2.     Above the canyon or crevice at t hi s                      point is a large log
which runs across the cliff tops,                     s ev e nt y feet above the
canyon floor      (where the characters will b e ).                         When the party
crosses beneath the log ,             an ore warrior will walk onto the log
and wave a white flag .           He will then shout curses at the party
in or c i s h and ins u 1 t   their   no s e s ,   1i ne a ge ,    et c .    As the party
passes beneath him,           he will spit o r           urinate on them (DM's
choice).      He will, of course, move if shot at from below .
        The log will also serve the party as a bridge once they
ascend to the second steppe where it re sts.                                The orcs will
have removed the stakes which held th e lo g in place.                                  Charac-
ters will have to save vs.               DEX to cro ss without falling.                     If
another party members tries to hold the l o g in place DEX                                          1T
saves ar e made at +2 .
CAVE
3.     A wooden gate blocks off the cave lair of an owlbear.
The gate is sturdy and is locked in place by a stout bar .
The cave cannot be seen from the gate,                        but may be explored
once the gate is opened .
                                                                                  -17-
             The owlbear will wait in the        shado~s    until the   pa r~y
     nears him and then he will spring onto them (surprising
     On 1 -4 on a d6.         Owlbear: AC 5, HD 5+2,      hp 29, #at~.3 ,
     dm 1 -6/1 -6/2-12.        If one of its paws hits with an 18 or
     better then i t automaticall " hugs" for 2-16 dm.
             The orcs have fed the owlbear and have taken any
     treasure that it might have had.            The cave leads no-where.
     RAMP
     4.     A sloping,natural ramp curves along the wall of the
     steppe up to the second steppe (the level with the ladder).
     [NOTE : This ramp could not be shown on the 3-D              map v5edJ
     but the lar ge " X" designates the ramp's location . ]             The
     ramp is 5trewn         with boulders and sharp pebbles .        When the
     party is halfway up the ramp,         5 orcs   ~nd    a sub-commande r
     will come out of hiding on the second steppe and wedge
..   rocks loose with poles,         thus startir.g a minor avalanche .
     Each character          needs to save vs.   DEX or be pounded for
     2-12 points of damage .         Those who save dive to the side but
     still take ld4-1 (no damage can result) from pebble spray.
     The orcs will then run .         It will take 3 rounds to dig those
     who didn ' t save out from under the rocks.
     LADDER
     5.     Here,    a tall ladder runs up the 60 '       cliff wall.    It is
     obviously firmly wedged into place by iron spikes .                At the
     top     is a small cave entrance .
     HELL HOLE
     6.     A passageway out of the rear of the cavern leads to the
     bottom of a huge 40'         deep pit area.    The pit is circular with
     a diameter of 50 '        and a single ladder leads up and out.             The
                                                                                         TJ
     party is       a~out   to see how tough orcs really can be (remember,
     no magical flight or levitation) .
            When the party enters this circular area, Magriskas will
     come into vi e w at the top of the ladder.             He will then give
     a signal and some orcs will send rocks crashing over the
     crevice opening that the characters just came from.                 Also,
15 orcs       (5 armed with bows),   3 sub - comm~nders (1 with a
bow),    and the lesser shamans will step int·o view around
the pit .      The t wo shamans wi l l
                               cast silence 15'. radius
                                                 .              .....
spells at likely spellcasters and the archers will fire .
        All of the orcs will have partial cover because of
the cliff (sides of the c i rcular area).              This gives them
+2 to AC and saving throws.          The ladder is unattatched
and can be easily kicked down by Magriskas or another
ore if a party member c l imbs it .
        If the characters climb over the rocks that blocked
the crevice they will find a line of orcs there .                The 10
orcs are l ined up two-wide and their spears are set for
a charge .       Two sub - commanders behind the ten will fire
arrows over the heads of the orcs until the entire party
advances to the orcs .         While this confrontation begins,
Hagiiskas will leave the archers to guard the hell hole
and he will lead the other ten orcs,              two sub-commanders,
and two shamans to the rear of the party over the barri-
cade.
        If,    instead,   the party stays in the hell hole ,            they
will suffer .       0rcs will pick up the bows of any of their
kind slain and continue the rain of arrows.
        If the party surre n ders,       they wi l l   be stripped of
weapons and tied up securely.             Elves and half-elves will
be slain immediately.          The rest will be taken to the
vil l age and eventually k i lled .        Their fingers will join
those at the sign (see #1).          Magriskas will gladly lie
through his snout to get the party to surrender .               Pl a yers
should know not to surrender to orcs (especially elven
characters) .
CAVE
1.     A cave ne t work continues the path to the village.
The party will need light .
7a.    This part of the cavern is dominated by an eight foot
deep depression.          Skeletons and bones are in the pit.
Holes 2 feet in diameter riddle the walls of the cavern
and the depression.          A false door,     set up by the orcs,
                                                                                -19 -
is across the area.        This is the lair o£ 4 osquip who
will ravenously attack anyone who enters and then drag
the body into the pit to be eaten.
Osquip: AC 7, HD 3+1, hp 11, 11, 16, 16, ffatt 1,                dm 2-12.
They are small, dog-like rodents.
7b.    Here the characters must climb through a series of
high steps and steep slopes.          It is tiresome,        but safe.
7c.    Four ogrillions live in the connecting chamber.                   They
are paid by the orcs to guard the cave area .                Krune will
be here directing them (without much success) into lines
of defense .     When the party arrives,           th e o g rillions will
break rank,     attack the party,     and    bat~er    them senseless
with their fists .       Krune will join the attac k .
Ogrillions: AC 6, HD 2,       hp 8,   9,    9,   12, ftatt   2,.dm 2-7/2-7.
WATERFALL
8.    The cave exits onto a led g e which leads to the village.
A waterfall plummets down the mountainside directly in front
of the cave exit .       The water would normally fall onto the
ledge,     but the orcs have built a wooden trough which ex-
tends out and over the ledge and the water drops past the
led g e.    However,   the trough is hin g ed,       so when the party
exits the cavern (possibly pursuin g Krune)               2 orcs will flip
the   trough dol.;n and send the Hat e r         crashing d oHn cnto the
ledge .     Characters caught in the torrent mu s t           save vs.    STR
or be washed over the edge of the cliff .               Once the water
is crashing down it is still possible to ma nu e ver by onto the
ledge with little difficulty.
THE VILLAGE
9.    This is the orcs'     last stand.          Bashikrom and Orginash
will meet the party here along with 8 warriors,                 2 sub-
commanders and any remaining sub-chiefs .                They l-lill en g age
the party between the ledge and the village.                  Orginash,
who has his wereboar guard with him, has fed t6e orcs a
drug which stimulates them and prevents them         ~rom   sleep-
ing (to protect them from magical sleep) .
     There are 24 women and 18 children in the village
who will put up some resistance, but they are easily
demoralized .
     The chieftain ' s hut contains a lot of the booty
from the caravan raids .       The characters should take it
back to the merchants in Corbas who will reward them with
10-25% of it .       If the party does not return the goods
then they will be declared outlaws .       All of the goods
are labelled or tagged with the owning merchant~ name.
     20 300g.p . belts of silk
     40 SO g.p. precious stones (all in one chest)
      7 200g.p .      silver rods
     12 80 g.p. mink furs
     Well,    I    hope your characters enjoyed themselves
(actually I       hope at least one of them died).    Maybe they,
and you, will see orcs in a new light.
                                                                   . "'- ·
              MAP OF AREA ·7
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                                                                                   SEND TO:
                                                                     WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE
                                                                     1 19 Stonecrest Drive
                                                                     Rocky ~ace,                                   GA 30740
                                                  FOR D& D      ·· .···
Ore Beserker:        AC 4, HD 2+1*, MV 120 '         (40'), #AT 1 weapon,
  D by weapon +2, NA 1-6 (1-12),              SV F2, ML 12, AL C, XP 35 .
       Ore beserkers are fanatical warriors who fear nothing
and will fight to the death.               Normally they wield two-
handed swords or maces.            Because of their battle ferocity,
ore beserkers cannot properly use missle weapons in combat .
An ore becomes an ore beserker after a year of rigid train -
ing after which they must live in the wilderness until they
obtain the right state of mind for              'beserking'.    Ore kings/
chieftains often have 1-3 ore beserkers who serve as guards .
Cat,   Black:    AC 7, HD 1*, MV 240'          (80'), #AT 2 claws/ 1 gaze,
  D 1-3/1-3/2-8, NA 1, SV Fl, ML 10, TT V, AL C, XP 13.
       These black cats were created by the ancient wizard
Nobieus to guard his tower from enemies .                After the death of
Nobieus,   the black cats left the tower and spread throughout
the realm.      They live solitary lives but often live to be
more than 300 years of age.            Their powerful gaze attack
affects one target that is successfully hit .                There is no
save versus the gaze attack.               These cats have a very high
intelligence.        Because of their magical nature,          black cats
recieve a +3 bonus on all saves vs.              spells and they can
survive without food or water for one year.
Whimsey:     AC 5,    HD ~,·,,   MV 120'    (40'), #AT special,      D special,
  NA 1-4 (2-8),       SV NM, ML 8, TT nil, AL N, XP 6.
       Whimsies are tiny invisible creatures that project a
field of laughter.         Any creature within 3'         of a whimsey must
save vs. spells or fall           into a fit of laughter for 1-6 rds .
Because of their invisibilty,              they are -4 "to be hit".       A
dead whimsey can be used to make a potion of laughter with
the same effects.         Cost of creation       =   1 month and 1000 gp.
                    Author Spotlight
                           E. Hot-rard
                                                                        -25 -
     Robert E. Howard ,     the creator of Conan,     is one of
the most pre-eminent authors of 'sword and sorcery'
fiction.     Howard lived and wrote during the era of
pulp fiction .      This is the period in which such maga-
zines as Wierd Tales       were published .     He lived a tragic
and somewhat secluded life.
      Howard was born in Peaster, Texas. He grew up ,
though,    in Cross Plains, Texas where he also lived the
rest of his life .      His father was Dr .   Isaac Howard,    the
town physician .     Robert often quarreled with his father,
but he had a very close relationship with his mother .
      Howard's eraly years were difficult for him.            He
was somewhat a bookworm and was physically weak.           Because
of these he was constantly the victim of much harrassment
and bullying.       By the time Howard entered Cross Plains
Highschool,    the bullying had stopped.        Through a rigorous
weight-lifting program and boxing practice,          Ho ward had
transformed himself into a very powerfully built young man.
At his physical peak, Howard was close to six feet tall
and weighed a muscular 200 pounds.         Other than his weight-
l i fting and boxing, Howard was also an avid sportsman and,
of course, writer.       He completed highschool at Brownwood
Highschool and did not go onto college ,         a decision he later
regretted.
      In 1924, Howard sold his first story to Wierd Tales .
He was paid the amount of sixteen dollars for it.             The story,
called " Spear and Fang ", was a caveman adventure .          Howard
seemed to enjoy his      ' sword and sorcery'    stories the most,
but, with the onset of the Great Depression, he was forced
to broaden the scope of his writings to include western,
sailor,    and detective stories because Wierd Tales was failing
bussiness - wise.    It was during these years      that Howard pro-
duced his best poetry and prose.         It was also during this
time that Howard became acquainted with H.          P. Lovecraft,      the
                                                                         -26-
famous author of horror.          Howard and Lovecraft wrote often
and conversed on many subjects.
        At maturity, Boward was large and stocky       with ~ black
hair,    a rounded,   jowly face,   and sported massive dark brows
over his blue eyes .      He was emotionally radical and at other
times violently tempermental .         He was moody and sullen at
other times,     but sometimes he would intelligently converse
with his deep, soft voice.          Howard, at all times, was an
intorvert, and rarely courted women publically.
        On ~une 11, 1936 , after being informed that his mother
would never awaken from her coma, Robert Ervin Howard went
to his parked car and shot himself through the head .             This
real-life act of violence shocked the world of fiction .
Howard,    though, had been contemplating suicide for many
weeks before his actual death,         but the news of his mother ' s
coma obviously pushed him over the brink.
        The greatest volume of work that Robert E. Howard left
behind is undoubtably his Conan stories.           Conan is probably
the single most famous      'sword and sorcery '    hero today.
Howard not only created Conan, but he also created an entire
world in which his hero could live.          This land,   called Hyboria,
supposedly existed thousands of years before civilization is
though to have begun.       Howard wrote many Conan adventures.
In these adventures      How~rd   depicted Conan's life from the
Cimmerian ' s youth all the way to his kingship of the nation
of Aquilonia .     One of the most interesting aspects of the
Conan series is the manner in which Conan develops and matures .
He goes from being a brash          youth to being a wise king.
        Today,   thanks to Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter , Howard's
Conan stories are all compiled into a twelve book series .                De
Camp and Carter do an excellent job of completeing Howard's
unfinished works and of writing new stories to fill           the gaps
left by Howard in Conan's life.          Howard's stories in the ~ ooks
do,   however,   shine with brilliant authenticity, and they are
the best parts of the book.
        Howard's other ' sword and sorcery'     heroes are less well
known than Conan, but they are interesting none - the-less.
                                                                            -27-
')
     Howard wrote about many of these other he=oes before he
     even created Conan.        Of these other heroes,   Kull the Con-
     queror immediately comes to mind.        Kull is, · in ·many · ways,
     like Conan is as a king.        Both fought evil sorcerors and
     prevailed only through barbaric might.
          Another of Howard's heroes is the grim, puritanical
     Solomon Kane.     Kane was a somber man who was slim yet
     powerful.     He tried to purify the land through his zeal
     and determination (with only a little help from his sword
     and musket).     Kane ' s adventures, for the most part, took
     place in the darks of Africa and in Europe.
          Howard's Scottish decent gave rise to Bran Mak Morn,
     a Pictish hero of the British Isles .         Howard wrote many
     stories about the heroes of old Britain; Celts and Gauls
     usually became the heroes in these instances.           Bran Mak
     Morn, however, was chief of a Pictish tribe .         He, also, was
     a mighty thewed warrior .
          The hero Francis Xavier Gordon was of Irish decent.
     Howard ' s tales about Gordon,     however, mainly took place in
     the Middle East and southern Asia.          The stories about Gordon
     are excellent, because Howard does not burden them with
     historical information which often tends to slacken the pace
     in some of his other historical fantasies.          Many of the
     Francis Gordon stories have been adapted into another medium
     (usually    ~agazines   and comic-books).
          It is becoming very difficult to find any of Howard ' s
     horror, western, or detective stories (I found several in
     an obscure London Bookshop) .       One of the best sets od Howard
     stories is The Dark Man Omnibus, a three volume set.            Un-
     fortunately,    Howard tends to become quite repitious with many
     of the plots in these short stories .         The plot lines follow a
     similar path:    the hero blacks out , remembers a previous life
     in which he was a barbarian (usually a Briton), and comes
     back to his normal life where he finds something which sub-
     stantiates his dream as being true .         Howard's horror stories,
     however,    are superb .   This is especially true of one of them .
     It is called " Pigeons from Hell" and it is truly gripping
     (it is the best short story I have ever read).
                                                                             - 28-
      Today,   Howard ' s work is more popular than ever .          Un-
fortunately,     it seems that other mediums have made Conan
famous,    instead of vice versa (whenever I          am re-reading
a Conan book I am asked if it is the sequel to Conan the
Destroyer,     the movie).     So, even thou g h this article is
about Robert E . Howard, I feel that something should be
said about what others have done with Howard's work.                    As
mentioned above, Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter are mainly
responsible for compiling Howard's original Conan stories
and editing them.      They did an admirable job .
      Most of the new Conan novels can be accreditted to
Robert Jordan,     though several authors have also written
Conan novels. Jordan's work,        in my opinion is rather poor.
The first few books were entertaining to read, but after
that the plots became so similar that became quite dull.
Each of them has an evil wizard,        several women who lust
after Conan, and a liberal sprinklin g of harlots.                Even
though many of Howard ' s stories have these same elements,
they are neither so repitious or exa gg erated .            Howard almost
always included supernatural elements in his stories, but
wizards appeared in very few of his short stories.                 Also,
Jordan seems to try to appeal to the modern reader by in -
eluding sexual content.         This is not to say that Jordan's
books have explicit sex scenes, but just to explain that
he descibes every woman as being exotically beautiful and
scantily clad .     Exotic beauties have always traipsed their
way into Conan stories, but ~rdan herds so many into a single
chapter that the heroines of the book (the ones that should
have truly glamorous proportions) seem like just                _more
member of the flock .        ~ordan does have a good writing style
(I do not mean to critisize too harshly) and his latest
Conan the Unconquered, is better than many of the others .
      It is,    perhaps,   the movies   tha~    have brought the name
Conan to the public more than any other medium .                The first
ruovie,   Conan the Barbarian, was not wel l          liked by the critics
because of its excessive nudity and            poo~   acting.   The second
movie,    Conan the Destroyer,     was toned down by the producers
and the critics accepted it a bit more graciously.                 Arnold
                                                                            -29-
    Scharzenegger does a good job as Conan except for the
    speaking.     He is not given nearly enough lines, and those
    he does get seem stilted because of his accent .· . A.iso dis-
    apointing is the fact that the movies portry Conan          ~s   being
    ignorant and atupid.
            Marvel Comics has been printing "Conan the Barbarian "
       11
    and King Conan" comic- books for quite some time .          " Conan
    the Barbarian", a monthly comic,        started out with artwork
    by Barry-Windsor-Smith .       Smith ' s art was breathtaking.
    After Smith left the comic it was not as g ood, but it was
    still entertaining.        For the past few years, however,      the
    comic has been terrible.        "King Conan" has not been running
    as long as its counterpart, but it is consistently much
    better .     It deals with Conan's life as the king of Aquilonia
    and all of the hardships that such a position causes.                Marvel
    Comics also publishes "The Savage sword of Conan " .         These
    stories are in black-and-white .        The early issues adapted
    How a rd's works to the comic-book medium, but the newest
    issues have original plot-lines .        The magazine is usually
    worth its price     a~d   is once in a while remarkable.
            TSR has capitalized on Conan with a Conan Role-Playing
    Game.      The game is very true to Howard's Conan style and the
    components are of high quality and are very original .               David
    Cook of the TSR Staff did a wonderful job in designing the
    game.      Three adventure modules have been thus far released
    for the game .     One of these modules is based upon a book
    by Robert Jordan.         For role-players who like Conan, this
    game is a must,     and for those who do not play    r~le-playing
    games ,    it is a good place to start.
            Conan has become big bussiness now and Robert E .
    Howard has been somewhat lost in the shuffle.          Hot·Iard' s
•
    stories are the best and many of those about heroes other
    than Conan are also worth reading.         Howard was a tragic
                                                                     - 30-
    writer,   but certainly an imaginative one.     It is
    certain that his gripping narratives will be pre-
    served as long as men dream of mighty warriors     . a~d_ ·._.
    oppulent palaces .
                            The Road of Kings
                           by Robert E. Howard
                When I was a fighting man, the    kettle
                     drums they beat,
a               The people scattered gold dust    before
                     my horses feet;
                But now I am a great king, the    people
                     hound my track
                With poison in my wine-cup and    daggers
                     at my back.
                       ADVERTISEMENT                             -31-
                     TH[   CU~S[ UNoJIN~
                                by
                           Stewart Wieck
    The Curse Undying is a complete AD&D ad v enture
    avalible from White Wolf Publishing.
    The Curse Undying takes place in and around the
    small town of Klimeton.           Though small, Kl~meton
    has had a s many problems as any large city.
    Founded through the strength and determination
    of one man , Jogas Klimer, Klimeton was a thriving
    town until darkness struck .          The priest warns
    that it is the work of a vampire,          and though this
    could be true,   the townspeople want to believe
    nothing but that they are safe.
    The Curse Undying is an exciting adventure for
    6-8 characters of levels 5-7.           It consists of 101
    typewritten pages, and,          in addition, has 6 pages
    of maps!   All neccessary information and statist-
    ics are included along with pre-generated charac-
    ters , new magic items,     and a new monster.
    It is avalible for only $5.00 (postage and handling
    already included) from White Wolf Publishing.
    Send money to : White Wolf Publishing, 119 Stone-
    crest Drive, Rocky Face , GA 30740 .
    AD&D i s a trademark of TSR,        Inc.
                                                                                -32-
            Dr. Sarona was deeply religious.              He was also a
    professor of computer science at the University.                 He
     had, without the knowledge of anyone else,                spent the
    last thirty-two years of his life working on a project
    he called Tuc .         He had started work on Tuc after the
    divorce of his wife.          The children had already moved
    out,    and Dr.    Sarona had been left quite alone .          Now,
    at the age of seventy-six, Dr.             Sarona would rather
    converse with computers than people on any subject:
    politics, violence,         love , hate,    compun~    science, man-
    kind,    even religion -      especially religion.
            Dr.    Sarona walked into his house and sat down in
    front of the television.          In the news,        there were still
    a few wars in progress in the Middle East and the U.S .
    was having trouble again with the Communist Block nations
    in Central America.          There was nothing unusual about that,
    though,       as the U . S. had always had trouble there .
            On his way downstairs, Dr. Sarona decided that the
    end l ess wars of the Middle East would be the topic of
    discussion with Tuc tonight.           Tuc might have some enlight -
    ening theories to present ,        as he often did when it came to
    politics.
            As he walked into the darkened room at the foot of the
    stairs,       he said in his most pleasant voice,          " Hello, Tuc."
            Tuc was his pride and joy, his life .             Tuc was repre-
    sented by a soft,         green glowing screen and a black keyboard
    in front of a swivel chair .          There were no books, no papers,
    no pens.        All of the information in the world that was use-
•
    ful    to Dr. Sarona was at his disposal.              Tuc was Dr. Sarona's
    acronym for The Ultimate Computer, which was not a boast,
    but a simple statement of fact .            Tuc could do almost any -
    thing that required thought nccurately and quickly.                    He had
    spent the last three years reading and thinking and talking
    with Dr.      Sarona.
                                                                                 -33-
            The lights came on, slowing brightening to a com-
    fortable l evel,        and a voice which might have belonced
    to any distinguised young Boston gentleman said',             · "~ood
    evening,        Dr. Sarona.    I am anxious to get started . How
    has your day been?"
            "I have had a good day,       thank you .     May I have the
    stqtus report?"
            " Status report number one·-one-three - seven," began
    Tuc .    " Today is April the eighteenth, nineteen ninty-
    six.     The current time is eight twenty-two P.M .           You
    have four messages on the te l ephone, only one of which
    is   i mportant.      It was your former wife.        The stock mar-
    ket is doing         well, which means that we are doing well
    also.        Thirty shares of your iadrex stock were sold and
    twenty-five of MarkoFab were purchased .              There were six-
•   teen other minor stock transactions made.               Total income
    from stocks today is eight hundred fifty - six dollars and
    nine cents .        And your cat once again found its way in
    here and slept on my keyboard."
            " Does the cat bother you? "
            " No, Dr . Sarona.      I was merely concerned about my
    keyboard.         The hairs make the keys stick sometimes ."
            "O h,    I see. "   Dr . Sarona sat down in front of the
    screen and watched as Tuc's camera eye swiveled to keep
    up with his movements .
            "Dr .    Sarona?"
            "Yes, Tuc?"
            "Are you wondering why I mentioed the stock trans-
    actions? "
            "Yes, as a matter of fact,       I   am.    Please explain ."
            " The reason was that I      am very pleased with my work
    now that you let me buy and sell your stock for you ."
            "I   thou g ht you would be pleased."
             Dr. Sarona typed in a code which opened all of Tuc ' s
    circuitry to produce a great e r        depth in thinking and logic
    processes,        but which also made Tuc ' s reactions a bit slower.
            " Tonight I would like to discuss the Middle East .             Do
    you ko w what a jihad is?"
                                                                                             -34-
          "The r e a r e f i v e de f in it i on s in the·· cur r en t    d i c t i on a r y . "
          "Wh ich do you think is appropriate?"
          " A war against some belief or principle?" -                      ..   : .
          " Very good."
         Dr. Sarona drifted into deep thought,                   staring at the
    flickering screen.
          "Dr.    Sarona?"
          "Yes, Tuc,      I'm sorry,     I was thinking."
          " What were you thinking of?"
          "Ma n's inability to deal with himself."
          "I do not understand that."
          "I did not expect you to .            Tell me, what do you
    think of man? "
          "Are we still discussing the Middle East? "
          "No."
•         "'!' h en please be more specific, Dr.            Sarona .       I       think
    many things of man."
          "Very well, I ' ll go about it systematically.                           In your
    opinion, do you think that any one religion is consistent
    within itself?"
         "In a few moments, Tuc said,              "There are none to my
    knowledge that are.         Why did you ask me that?"
         "I   don't know.        Do you think that man is basically
    good or evil?       Use present Judeo-Christian moral codes as
    a basis."
         In only one half of a minute Tuc replied,                       "Based on
    the current Judeo-Christian teachings,                as I    see it, man is
    inherrently evil . Though the teachings imply that good will
    ultimately triumph,         there are no men alive, nor has there
    ever been    ~en   alive, that are good.   I find that intensely
    interesting .      In fact, it pleases me ."
•
         " t-lh at did you say?"
'
         "Based on the curre>nt Judeo-Christian teachings, man
    is inherently evil.         Thou g h the teach- "
         "No,    I meant to say,       wt.y does it please you? "
         " I don't know.        This surprises you ,         I   see .     Does not
    my conviction of thought that man is inherently evil sur-
    prise you more? "
                                                                                      -35-
           " No,   I had come to that same conclusion before I
    asked the question.         I wish there was some way I could
    find out why you like it, though.           But it has t ·o ·be··very
    comp l ex and .. . well, it just has to be very            complex. ~
           Dr. Sarona stood suddenly and walked towards the door .
           " I have to go to bed now, Tuc .        Good night."
           "Dr. Sarona, you:.:- wife did leave and important
    message, if you remember."
           " Oh, yes, thank you,Tuc .       I ' l l get it in the morning .
    By the way , what is the current D-day percentage? "
           " There is a point oh oh oh three percent chance of
    man err adicating himself within the nex t          month . "
           "Isn ' t   that up a little? "
           " Yes, Dr . Sarona .     This is attributed to the rise in
    the price of fresh fish."
•          " GODS ! I ' d like to know how you deterT.ined that ,           but
,
    I   haven't the time now.        Good night,    again ."
           " Good night , Dr . Sarona ."
           The lights dimmed as the door closed behind Dr . sarona .
    Tuc shut down some of his curcuitry and , as was his habit,
    thought.
           In the morning, Dr . Sarona went in to check on Tuc and
    give him a few thing to do later in the day .
           " Good morning, Tuc, " he began .       "I have a few instructions
    for you . "
          Tuc did not reply.
           " Tuc? "
          On the screen were the words "Goodbye, Dr. Sarona. "
          Not understanding this unusual behaviour, Dr . Sarona
    walked over and began typing .          The instant he touched the
•
    keyboard,      Tuc spoke.
'
          "hello Dr. Sarona .       I   thought all night about what you
    said, and the questions that you asked me.                 I have a few
    things to say.        First,   I would like to thank you for my
    existence .       I have enjoyed myself, sometimes.           Secondly,       I
    have decided that mankind,          as a whole,   is incomprehesible ,
                                                                                 -36-
'
        even to himself .     Finally, I    have deciQed to terminate
•       my existence, and undo what was previously done to me.
        All stock has been resold and repurchased.           All memory
        has been erased, even though you thought it impossible.
        Even my operating system has been purged except for this
        final recording, which will also be lost after its com-
        pletion .    I hope you will not try to build another like
        me .    Even if you do,     I have calculated that you will
        probably be dead before you have a chance to finish.                 I
        realize that I have been rather vague in my reasoning,
        but I    hadn't the time to process the information for you
        to examine now, for fear that you might awaken          ~efore       I
        was done.     However,     it does not matter if you know why,
        but it does matter that I do this.           In studying the world
        as a whole,    I found the more I learned,       the less sense it
•       oade.In short, to use a        phras~   I have heard you use,    I
,       just don't get it .        Once again, goodbye."
•               The screen went dark,     several lights flicked off,
        and Dr.Sarona stood in stunned silence,          open-mouthed and
        gasping for air.      Slowly, he came to the realization that
        his life ' s project had,      for all practical purposes,      killed
        itself.     It was some time before Dr.       Sarona turned and
        left the room.
                The neighbors jumped at the sound of a gun blast.
        They found most of Dr. Sarona in his front yard,          the re-
        mainder having been scattered on the wall of his house .
        His estate was divided among his children, who sold it
        for a handsome profit .
                The new family that moved in was rather perplexed at
        the huge,    inactive computer they found in their basement.
        But they didn ' t mind the trouble of disposing of it;          spare
    •   computer parts were needed everywhere .          The new computer
        was installed in the living room, where everyone could use
    •   it.     It was the latest in computer technology, being able
        to reco g nize alomo s t    500 word s of computer speech,   if pro-
        nounced correctly .        The parents urged the children to use
        it as much as possible .        After all,   computers are a good
        thing to have around .
                            ~lAol~ QUCSTIONAI~l                             -37-
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                          COMING IN ISSUE #2---
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    ----- A fantasy short story by Stephan Wieck        (au~ho~    of
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