Dawn of the Dragons (6 page)
‘Did you not know, Northlander,’ chuckles Dorst, ‘that cheatin' is fair in Taluka? Least, that's the way we play it, eh, boys?’
Feeling a little embarrassed by their behaviour, you fold your hand of cards, pick up your money, and make an excuse that you are tired after your long day's ride. Dorst and his men bid you goodnight, and as he and his men continue with their dubious game, you go and check to see that your horse is comfortable for the night. You are busy gathering some grasses for his feed when suddenly a shriek echoes through the hills — it is the unmistakable cry of a Kraan.
If you possess Kai-screen,
turn to 221
.
If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 99
.
Overhead the sun gleams like a jewel in the clear blue sky, and the early morning air bites with a refreshing sharpness which helps to revive your spirits. A layer of thick frost covers the stony trail from the monastery, and it scrunches loudly under the horses' hooves as you make your careful descent. Soon you rejoin the east road and follow it, through a series of shallow gorges, to a thick pine forest where the ground is covered with mossy rocks. Here the road ascends to a crest where a pall of black smoke stains the cloudless sky. As you approach the crest, you suddenly sense danger ahead and shout a warning to Nathor. He commands the troop to halt while you go ahead to assess the situation.
Beyond the crest you see a broad valley with steeply wooded sides. At its centre there is a village and a large stone building which, when you magnify your vision, you determine to be a church. The roof of this building is ablaze and several bodies lie dotted around its cultivated grounds and gardens. You signal to Nathor to join you and, when he arrives upon the crest, he is able to identify the burning church.
‘That's Pinepeaks Abbey,’ he says, his voice stilted with anxiety. ‘They are in trouble — we must help them.’
He calls his men to come forward and, before you can caution him, he leads them at the gallop down the steep trail which descends towards the valley floor. Cursing his impetuosity, you spur your steed onward and follow in his wake. You have covered less than half a mile when suddenly your Magnakai sense of Divination screams a warning — the troop is riding directly into an ambush.
Desperately you shout for Nathor to halt but your command goes unheeded. Then, from out of the surrounding pines, there comes a volley of arrows and spears. One spear penetrates deep into your horse's flank, killing him instantly.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0 or 1,
turn to 278
.
If it is 2–6,
turn to 183
.
If it is 7–9,
turn to 107
.
High above you can hear the distant sound of running feet. A troop of the Prince's guards is rushing to his aid, although you sense that it is too late to save him now. Rather than stay to face their wrath when they discover their leader has been incinerated, you use the Sommerswerd to open the circular panel in the wall of the pit. As it falls away, you discover a chute which leads to an underground river. Quickly you crawl along this slime-smeared chute and slip into the cold waters, where you are carried swiftly away by the strong undercurrent.
You sense that the talisman is protecting your body from the extreme heat and toxic atmosphere of this hellish plane. However, this talisman alone will not be sufficient to keep you safe from the creatures that are now advancing rapidly towards the Shadow Gate.
Beyond the valley lies an expanse of coarse and thorny vegetation which is alive with wild game. You stop to catch yourself an evening meal and then make camp beneath an old twisted oak (restore 3
ENDURANCE
points). The night passes uneventfully and at first light you resume your ride east. Shortly before midday, you arrive at the ruins of an ancient church where a signpost, pointing to the east, says:
You allow yourself a smile; with luck you could be inside the city walls by nightfall.
Later in the day you see a dust cloud approaching along the road. You magnify your vision and see a dozen armed horsemen clad in ragged uniforms of green and black. A sense of unease pervades your mind; these are the colours most often worn by Eldenoran soldiers. Trusting to your Kai instincts, you steer your horse off the trail and take cover among the trees of a nearby copse.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–6,
turn to 81
.
If it is 7–9,
turn to 229
.
The unexpected sound of the voice jolts you to full consciousness. You look around for who it was who uttered these words and, to your surprise, you see an old man dressed in brown robes standing before you, stroking your horse's nose. Immediately you recognize the kindly face of Gwynian the Sage.
‘Fate calls us together once more, Lone Wolf,’ he says. ‘Come, we have much to discuss.’
And with that he takes hold of your horse's bridle and leads him across the park to a grand building. It has changed much since you were last here, but despite the new brick and marble façade you recognize Varetta's Halls of Learning.
You are taken along a gravelled path to a hall, where a sign hanging over its richly-carved oak door says ‘Library’. You dismount, and Gwynian ties the reins to a ring set into the wall. Then he pushes open the door and together you enter the library's cool interior. Countless thousands of books and parchments crowd the stone shelves of this magnificent library, marching past on either side as you walk towards another door at the far end of the hall.
Desperately you urge the horse forwards, but the combined weight of you and Lord Nathor conspire to slow its progress. Before it can carry you through the gatehouse and onto the drawbridge beyond, the portcullis comes crashing down, sealing your only means of escape. Then a second portcullis descends, preventing you from returning into the castle keep. You are caught, trapped like fish in a barrel in the narrow corridor between these two gates.
This area is called the ‘murder hole’, and, as you soon discover to your cost, it is an apt description of what can occur in this dreadful place. Within seconds of your capture, the walls above are ringed by guardsmen, each armed with bows which they aim at you and your companion. At a given signal they open fire, pouring volley after relentless volley of arrows into your defenceless forms.
Tragically, your life and your journey home to Sommerlund end here, in the murder hole of Castle Tranius.
You instruct Captain D'Val to retreat with the regiment fifty yards back along the trail. When he has complied with your order, you move upstream until you can see, at an angle, the source of the ultraviolet beam: it is a small metallic polyhedron, studded with rivets.
You dismount and pick a large stone out of the river and lob it at the device with deft precision. The instant the stone hits, there is a violent explosion which knocks you down and peppers the area of the ford with sharp splinters of rock.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–3,
turn to 310
.
If it is 4–9,
turn to 105
.
Suddenly you feel your throat tighten, and the skin on your face and the backs of your hands begins to itch. With mounting dread you realize that you have been walking into an area which is infested with a virulent plague. Hurriedly, you turn to run from the town as fast as you can, but you have taken no more than a dozen steps when you collapse to the muddy ground.
If you possess any Oede herb or Matho's Potion,
turn to 113
.
If you possess neither of these items,
turn to 128
.
The death of their leader stuns the dragon herd into frozen silence, and you seize this opportunity to make a dash for the Shadow Gate. Before Naar can direct his Lavas to block your escape, you reach the Shadow Gate and hurl yourself through it into the whirling black abyss.
You fold your hand of cards, pick up your money, and make an excuse that you are tired after your long day's ride. Dorst and his men bid you goodnight, and as he and his men continue with the game, you go and check to see that your horse is comfortable for the night. You are busy gathering some grasses for his feed when suddenly a shriek echoes through the hills — it is the unmistakable cry of a Kraan.
If you possess Kai-screen,
turn to 221
.
If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 99
.
Your advanced Kai Mastery reveals to you the whereabouts of the missing purse of gems. It is in the boot of the bargee, the lank-haired man who is siding with the merchant against the other. He is hoping to keep hidden his guilt by pointing the finger of suspicion at the man in the hide coat.
The bargee steps away from the table and, as he tries to move quietly towards the tavern door, he passes in front of your chair. Deftly you kick the top of his boot. The blow splits the purse and scatters gemstones all over the tavern floor.
‘Why you … ’ growls the guilty bargee, and, in the blink of an eye, he draws a dagger and lunges for your heart.
Illustration I—In the blink of an eye he draws a dagger and lunges for your heart.
Bargee (master thief):
COMBAT SKILL
36
ENDURANCE
25
If you win this combat,
turn to 199
.
You take a gasp of air and dive below the surface, but as you submerge, you feel the stinging kiss of a crossbow bolt's tip graze your shoulder: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.
Having lost the element of surprise, you allow the current to carry you a few hundred yards downstream before you come to the surface. You find yourself opposite a shallow bay in the river bank which affords you better cover from the nearest enemy trench than your previous position upstream. Quickly you crawl out of the water and slither like a snake up the muddy bank to drop silently into this trench. A dull-witted Eldenoran is swiftly dispatched with a blow from the edge of your hand, enabling you to move further along this log-walled ditch. Just as you are passing the opening to a makeshift dugout, you sense danger ahead. A single file of Eldenoran swordsmen is marching along the trench in your direction; it will be only a matter of seconds before they are close enough to see you.
If you wish to dive into the dugout to avoid being seen by these men,
turn to 185
.
If you choose to unsheathe your weapon and prepare for combat with this advancing file of troops,
turn to 57
.
Your decision to stop and speak with the pilgrims clearly irritates the Lord Constable, but he bows to your authority and waits patiently for you to finish talking with them.
You learn that this ragged group are on their way to Garthen. Their leader, a bearded wretch called Pospora, also tells you of a strange camp that he and his pilgrims discovered last night, near a place on the road which he calls ‘red rock’. However, this information does not come cheaply — you are pressed by the pilgrims into making a donation to their dubious cause. (Deduct 5 Gold Crowns from you
Action Chart
. If you possess fewer than 5 Crowns, erase instead one Backpack Item of your choice.)
Having satisfied your curiosity, you return to the troop and continue the ride east.
You fall among the damp, jagged rocks and gash your head on a pointed outcrop: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
Your sudden movement alerts a Lavas to your position and it circles around Raven's Eyrie until it is sure that you are human. Then, with a piercing shriek, it comes diving out of the sky with its claws extended and its beaked jaw open wide.
You abandon your horse at the derelict barn and creep down stealthily to the river's edge. After stowing your cloak and boots in your backpack, you wade out into the cold, dark waters of the Storn and begin your swim to the opposite bank. The river current is strong and, before long, you find yourself being carried swiftly downstream.
If your current
ENDURANCE
points score is 10 or less,
turn to 232
.
If it is 11 or more,
turn to 177
.