Grey Star the Wizard (3 page)

You wear the grey robe and hooded cloak of a Shianti Wizard. Your only weapon is your Wizard's Staff (note this on your
Action Chart
under Weapons). You wear a Backpack containing 4 Meals (note under Meals on your
Action Chart
), and you have been given a
map of the Shadakine Empire
(note under Special Items on your
Action Chart
) which you place inside your robe.

If you have chosen Alchemy as one of your Magical Powers, then you will have a leather pouch for herbs and potions hanging from your belt. The Herb Pouch contains the following:

• 2 empty Vials for carrying potions
  
• 1 Vial containing Saltpetre
  
• 1 Vial containing Sulphur
  

Mark these 4 items in your
Action Chart
.

Your Herb Pouch will carry a maximum of eight items.

On your last day on the Isle of Lorn, your Shianti Masters offer you the following gifts to aid you in your quest. According to Shianti custom, you may choose one of them. They are:

• Jewelled Dagger (Special Item) This adds 1 point to your
  COMBAT SKILL
  when used in combat.
  ⁴
  
• Magic Talisman (Special Item) This adds 2 points to your
  WILLPOWER
  total.
  ⁵
  
• Vial of Laumspur (Backpack Item) This restores 4
  ENDURANCE
  points to your total when swallowed after combat. There is enough for one dose.
  

When you have made your choice, mark the item on your
Action Chart
under the headings given in brackets, and make a note of any effect it may have on your
ENDURANCE
,
WILLPOWER
, or
COMBAT SKILL
totals.

Now that you have your equipment, the following list shows you how it is carried. You do not need to make notes, but you should refer back to this list in the course of your adventure.

• Wizard's Staff — carried in the hand.
  
• Backpack — slung over the shoulder.
  
• Meals — carried in the Backpack.
  
• Jewelled Dagger — tucked into your belt.
  
• Magic Talisman — worn on a chain around your neck
  
• Vial of Laumspur — carried in the Backpack.
  

Weapons

The maximum number of weapons that you may carry is
two
. Your Wizard's Staff counts as one weapon.

Backpack Items

These must be stored in your Backpack. Because space is limited, you may only keep a maximum of eight articles, including Meals, in your Backpack at any one time.

Special Items

Special Items are not carried in the Backpack. When you discover a Special Item, you will be told how to carry it.

Nobles (Shadakine currency)

These are carried in the pocket of your robe.

Food

Food is carried in your Backpack. Each Meal counts as one item.

Any item that may be of use and can be picked up on your adventure and entered on your
Action Chart
is given capital letters in the text. Unless you are told it is a Special Item, carry it in your Backpack.
⁶

Weapons

Your
COMBAT SKILL
depends on your Wizard's Staff. If you do not possess your Staff when you enter combat you must deduct 6 points from your
COMBAT SKILL
. If you enter a combat without a weapon, deduct 8 points from your
COMBAT SKILL
and fight with your bare hands. If you find a weapon during the adventure, you may pick it up and use it. (Remember that you can only carry
two
Weapons at once.)
⁷

Backpack Items

During your travels you will discover various useful items which you may wish to keep. (Remember that you can only carry a maximum of eight items in your Backpack at any one time.) You may exchange or discard them at any point when you are not involved in combat.

Special Items

Each Special Item has a particular purpose or effect. You may be told this when the item is discovered, or it may be revealed to you as the adventure progresses.

Currency

The currency of the Shadakine Empire is the Noble, which is a small jade stone. The system of money is alien to the Shianti, and for this reason you begin your adventure with no money. Whenever you kill an enemy, you may take any Nobles belonging to him and keep them in the pocket of your robe.

Food

You will need to eat regularly during your adventure. If you do not have any food when you are instructed to eat a Meal, you will lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

There will be occasions during your adventure when you have to fight an enemy. The enemy's
COMBAT SKILL
and
ENDURANCE
points are given in the text. Grey Star's aim during the combat is to kill the enemy by reducing his
ENDURANCE
points to zero while at the same time losing as few
ENDURANCE
points as possible himself.

At the start of a combat, enter Grey Star's
ENDURANCE
and
WILLPOWER
points and the enemy's
ENDURANCE
points in the appropriate boxes on the Combat Record section of your
Action Chart
.

The sequence for combat is as follows:

1. Calculate your current
   COMBAT SKILL
   total, based on the weapon you are using. (Remember, if you enter combat without your Staff, you must deduct 6 points from your
   COMBAT SKILL
   . If you have no weapon at all, you must deduct 8 points.)
   
2. Subtract the
   COMBAT SKILL
   of your enemy from this total. The result is your Combat Ratio. Enter it on the
   Action Chart
   .
   
3. If you are using your Wizard's Staff
   , decide how many
   WILLPOWER
   points you wish to use. (Remember, you must expend at least 1 point.) Enter this number on your Combat Record in the box marked
   WILLPOWER
   .
   Example
   Grey Star (
   COMBAT SKILL
   15,
   WILLPOWER
   23) is ambushed by a Deathgaunt (
   COMBAT SKILL
   20). He is not given the opportunity to evade combat, but he can use his Wizard's Staff against the creature as it swoops down on him. He subtracts the Deathgaunt's
   COMBAT SKILL
   from his own, giving a Combat Ratio of −5. (15 − 20 = −5). −5 is noted on the
   Action Chart
   as the Combat Ratio. Grey Star decides to use 2
   WILLPOWER
   points, which is noted on the
   WILLPOWER
   box of the Combat Record.
   
4. When you have decided upon the number of
   WILLPOWER
   points you wish to use and have determined your Combat Ratio, pick a number from the
   Random Number Table
   .
   
5. Turn to the
   Combat Results Table
   on the inside back cover of the book. Along the top of the chart are shown the Combat Ratio numbers. Find the number that is the same as your Combat Ratio and cross-reference it with the random number that you have picked. (The random numbers appear on the side of the chart.) You now have the number of
   ENDURANCE
   points lost by Grey Star. To calculate the number lost by the enemy, multiply the number listed for the enemy by the number of
   WILLPOWER
   points that Grey Star elected to use. Now you have the final number of
   ENDURANCE
   points lost by both Grey Star and his enemy in this round of combat. (E represents points lost by the enemy; GS represents points lost by Grey Star.)
   Example
   The Combat Ratio between Grey Star and the Deathgaunt has been established as −5, and Grey Star's
   WILLPOWER
   points used as 2. If the number taken from the
   Random Number Table
   is a 6, then the result of the first round of combat is:
   
   • Grey Star loses 4
     ENDURANCE
     points.
     
   • Deathgaunt loses 5
     ENDURANCE
     points, multiplied by 2
     WILLPOWER
     points, giving a total of 10
     ENDURANCE
     points lost in all.
     
6. On the
   Action Chart
   , mark the changes in
   ENDURANCE
   points to the participants in the combat, and Grey Star's amended
   WILLPOWER
   points total.
   
7. Unless otherwise instructed, or unless you have an option to evade, the next round of combat now starts.
   
8. Repeat the sequence from
   Stage 3
   .
   

This process of combat continues until the
ENDURANCE
points of either the enemy or Grey Star are reduced to zero or below, at which point that combatant is declared dead. If Grey Star is dead, the adventure is over. If the enemy is dead, Grey Star proceeds but with his
ENDURANCE
and
WILLPOWER
points possibly reduced.

A
summary of Combat Rules
appears in the back of this book.

During your adventure you may be given the chance to evade combat. If you have already engaged in a round of combat and decide to evade, calculate the combat for that round in the usual manner. All points lost by the enemy as a result of that round are ignored, and you make your escape. Only Grey Star may lose
ENDURANCE
points during that round, but then that is the risk of running away! You may only evade if the text of the particular section allows you to do so.

You are about to embark on a quest of great peril, for your journey will take you to an unknown land that is dominated by evil. Refer to the
map
and make notes as you progress through the story: they are sure to be of great help to you in future adventures.

You will discover items that could be of help to you on your quest. Some Special Items may aid you in future
Grey Star
adventures, others may be red herrings of no real use at all; so be selective in what you decide to keep.

Be cautious in your use of
WILLPOWER
points, as your
WILLPOWER
is the energy source for your Magical Powers and your Wizard's Staff. A
WILLPOWER
score of zero or below will leave you weak and vulnerable to attack, unable to offer effective resistance.

Follow the path of wisdom, Wizard Grey Star. The way of fools is the road to destruction.

Good luck!

It is a grim, chill morning, your last on the Isle of Lorn. With quaking heart, you enter the sacred temple of Amida to receive the silent blessing of your Shianti masters. They stand around you, heads bowed in meditation. At length, the ceremony ends and Maiteya, your old friend and teacher, steps forward, and grasps you firmly by the shoulders. You look into his glittering eyes and see yourself reflected there, for the eyes of the Shianti race are not coloured like man's but have pupils that cast reflections like mirrored glass.

Illustration I
—With quaking heart you enter the sacred temple of Amida.

‘Grey Star,’ he says, a warm smile lighting his serene face, ‘the time has come for you to leave. Far will you travel and perilous is your course. Be not afraid, yet do not fear caution. Though you go with the teaching and blessing of the Shianti and carry the might of the Wizard's Staff, stealth and secrecy will be your allies. Let not courage defeat wisdom. Go now and seek the Kundi race that is called the Lost Tribe of Lara. You are the instrument of our will, bearer of our hope. Ever will your quest be in our minds and hearts.’

Without a word, you turn and leave the temple, not looking back until you reach the shore, where a sail boat awaits you. With a gentle sigh, you bid farewell to the island of your youth and push the little craft into the cold waters of the Sea of Dreams. You jump into the boat and set sail, making a westward course for the distant mainland of the Shadakine Empire.

If you have the Magical Power of Elementalism and wish to use it to aid your voyage,
turn to 202
.

If you do not possess this Power, or if you do not wish to use it,
turn to 168
.