Dawn of the Dragons (17 page)
Suddenly you are confronted by one of these beasts who attempts to strike you from the battlements with its horny tail. You leap to avoid its scything attack, draw your weapon in mid-air, and swing your first blow the moment your feet return to the flagstones of the North Watch.
Lavas:
COMBAT SKILL
48
ENDURANCE
46
If you win this combat,
turn to 282
.
Using your Kai ability, you conjure up a fog from the forest floor to conceal your position. Shielded by this supernatural mist, you manage to evade the war-dog pack and make good an escape into the forest.
Moments before you reach him, he throws the young woman and her child to the ground and spins around to face you, his dagger held poised to slash at your throat. He strikes and you dodge his first clumsy blow with ease. As he is about to strike out for a second time, you raise your weapon and aim a scything blow at his head.
Eldenoran Thug (drunk):
COMBAT SKILL
30
ENDURANCE
30
If you win this combat,
turn to 333
.
You ask a street trader the way to the Halls of Learning and he points impatiently to an avenue on the west side of the square. A rusty plate fixed to the corner building says ‘Quill Street’.
You ride along this narrow avenue, which is flanked by aromatic jala houses and perfumeries, until it turns abruptly right into a wider thoroughfare called Brass Street. A smile cracks your travel-grimy face when you see the courtyard entrance to a grand building. It has changed much since you were last here, but despite its new brick and marble façade you recognize Varetta's Halls of Learning.
You ride along a gravelled path to a fountain where you stop to ask a brown-robed scholar if he knows where Gwynian can be found. Without speaking, he points to a nearby hall. A sign hanging over its richly-carved oak door says ‘Library’. You thank the robed man and dismount from your horse, leaving him tied to a ring which is set into the wall. Then you push open the door and enter the library's cool interior.
Countless thousands of books and parchments crowd the stone shelves of this magnificent library. Your eyes travel along them until they reach another door at the far end of the hall. There, standing framed in the arch, is the man whose help you seek.
‘Welcome, Grand Master,’ says Gwynian the Sage. ‘I have been expecting you.’
Your keen Kai senses detect a faint aroma in the air, a sickly sweet smell which you recognize immediately. It is the aroma of disease and decay — the ghastly cloying smell of plague.
Alerted by your acute Kai senses to the tragedy which has befallen the town of Nursha, you skirt around its perimeter before taking the road which heads east towards Abisko.
The young man gets up off his knees and greets you with a friendly smile. He is unusually talkative for a guildsman and you soon learn that his name is Frello, and that he is a journeyman from the Silversmiths' Guild of Vanamor. He has stopped here to offer up a prayer to Ishir to protect him from ‘bad strangers on the trail’. It appears that he was robbed yesterday by some Eldenorans on the road out of Vanamor. He offers to share half a loaf of bread with you, but you decline his generosity, thanking him nonetheless. You sense that it is all the food he has. Mindful of wasting time, you bid him good luck and then continue your journey east.
You signal to Captain D'Val to bring the regiment to a halt. Then, as soon as they are stationary, you dismount and move into the undergrowth alone. Stealthily you advance towards the boot, suspecting it to be another of the enemy's booby traps, but when you get to within a few feet you see that it is no trap. A knot tightens in the pit of your stomach and a tear wells up in your eye as you look with pity at what lies here.
You draw on your Kai Mastery to conjure up a dense fog which fills the pit. You hear Lutha cursing you vehemently, for he can no longer see where you are. In frustration, he causes a whirling blast of power to surge from the ring and sweep down the shaft of the pit. You are buffeted by a wave of evil psychic energy (lose 3
ENDURANCE
points) but this power is unfocused and you quickly recover.
Seizing the advantage, you call on your Magnakai skills of Pathsmanship to aid you as you begin the difficult climb out of the pit. The ascent becomes a race against time; you must reach the open trapdoor before the mist clears.
You are pulling yourself through the opening when Lutha sees you. He attempts to kick you with his right foot, but you twist away in time to avoid the vicious attack and you tug his left leg, pulling him off balance. This move buys you the few seconds you need to get to your feet. As you rise he comes at you again, this time with a dagger in his hand.
Illustration X—Prince Lutha comes at you again, this time with a dagger in his hand.
Prince Lutha (with Ring of Power):
COMBAT SKILL
54
ENDURANCE
39
While wearing the Ring of Power, Lutha is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.
If you win the combat,
turn to 89
.
Your Arrow glances off the Dragons lower eyelid and its tip gouges a furrow of black tissue from the cornea of his eye. He reacts to the sudden, agonizing pain by emitting a ground-shuddering roar. Wildly he stomps his massive forefeet down into the black soil and sends splashes of molten mud and flame soaring into the air.
You whisper the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Mind Charm
and point your hand at the trooper's face. Instantly he relaxes and becomes entirely susceptible to your psychic commands. You will him to turn around and close the door to the hut and, as he is obeying your silent order, you mount his horse and escape into the woods.
You keep to the trees and head south in a wide arc around the Eldenoran settlement at Fabri. During your ride through the woodland, you discover the following items in the bags and blanket roll which are attached to the horse's saddle:
- Sword
- Rope
- Tinderbox
- Blanket
- Bow
- Quiver containing 5 Arrows
- 12 Lune (equivalent to 3 Gold Crowns)
- Spyglass
If you decide to keep any of these items, remember to adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.
Shortly before sunset, you emerge from the trees at a place where three trails meet. A wooden signpost propped against a boulder indicates three directions, destinations, and distances:
Holona: 50 miles West
Tenzha: 20 miles South
You are anxious to leave hostile Eldenoran territory as soon as possible and, after checking your
map
, you set off to the south, towards the Slovian border town of Tenzha.
During your ride, unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
To continue,
turn to 343
.
Ten days after leaving Vadera, the
Saxin
drops anchor in Varnos Harbour in Garthen — the crown capital of Talestria. The sleek and elegant lines of the Lencian craft contrast starkly with the drab, functional hulls of the merchant ships and dhows which crowd this city-port's jetties and wharves. Lencian craft are a rare sight in Garthen, and the
Saxin
is the rarest of Lencian craft; it is no wonder that its arrival stirs a frenzy of interest and speculation among the citizens of this capital.
Word of your arrival travels quickly to the Royal Citadel and a troop of Queen Evaine's Court Cavalry are dispatched to the harbour. They are led by a stern-faced man who wears the uniform and gold insignia of the Lord Constable, the highest military rank in the Talestrian army. He brings his column of regal horsemen to a halt at the quayside; then he dismounts and strides forward to welcome you in person as you disembark from the ship.
If you have ever visited Garthen or Torgar in a previous
Lone Wolf
adventure,
turn to 292
.
If you have not,
turn to 48
.
For two days you follow this trail through the great Forest of Salony. During your ride it strikes you that the weather seems to be reflecting the nature of the people who dwell in this region — cold and inhospitable. They do not take kindly to strangers, especially those riding alone.
On the morning of the third day, you reach a small village called Hopforst which stands at the edge of the Great Forest. To the west of the village you can now see the snow-capped mountain peaks of the Ceners, and to the north stretches an open expanse of rough grassland dotted with thickets of larch and pine.
As dusk is drawing its curtain of shadow over the land, you see in the distance the decaying walls of a derelict city. A broken sign by the roadside says that this place is called Amory, yet the newish track which branches off the road and avoids the city gate tells you that travellers on this road no longer visit here. It has begun to rain again and you are quietly dreading having to spend another night out in the open. Tempted by the promise of shelter, you approach Amory and enter the city by a gate that hangs haphazardly from its hinges.
Stoically you swim against the powerful current and reach the distant shore, breathless and exhausted, but glad to have escaped in one piece from the hostile land of Eldenora.
Once you have fully recovered, you put on your boots and cloak and take stock of your surroundings. You have emerged from the Storn at a wooded stretch of river bank, less than a mile south of the city of Rhem. You set off along a track heading north and within a few minutes, you catch sight of the city's walls and its famous horseshoe-shaped harbour.
You enter the city by its south gate, using your Kai camouflage skills and your natural stealth to avoid the attentions of the watchful guards. Once inside, you merge with the crowds and soon find yourself in a square that is overshadowed by the twin towers of Rhem Cathedral. An avenue runs along the cathedral's south side and, at its far end, your eye is drawn to a rusty suit of armour which stands beside the door to a dingy-looking shop.
If you wish to enter this armoury,
turn to 339
.
If you decide not to enter,
turn to 36
.
You draw an Arrow and take careful aim at one of the leading Lavas. As it dips its head and opens its jaw, you release your straining bowstring and send your shaft whistling towards its head. The fire-hardened tip penetrates its eye and, with a hideous shriek, it spins end over end before crashing into the parapet of the tower.
‘Fire at their eyes!’ you shout, and a cloud of Kai arrows is sent screaming through the sky to seek their elusive mark. More than half find their target, decimating the first wave of the Lavas attack at a single stroke, yet those winged creatures who do survive this deadly volley are quickly among the defenders on the tower. Suddenly you are confronted by one of these beasts who attempts to bat you over the parapet with its horny tail. You leap to avoid its scything attack, draw your weapon in mid-air, and strike your first blow the moment your feet return to the tower's flagstones.
Lavas:
COMBAT SKILL
48
ENDURANCE
46
If you win this combat,
turn to 49
.
The pack leader is a ferocious creature whose supernatural will is far too strong to be turned by your powers of Animal Control. Your attempts at repelling him prove futile, and, with their kill now in sight, these howling beasts increase their speed. Hurriedly you unsheathe your weapon as they come streaming across the bridge towards you.
With Sabre Fox at your side, you climb the circular stairs to the Grand Hall of the Tower of the Sun. Excitedly the young Kai Master announces your arrival to the battle-weary Kai who are gathered here, and, at first, they look at you in stunned disbelief. Then the truth of what they see sinks in and they give vent to a loud cheer that can be heard all throughout the monastery.
The news of your return spreads like wildfire. Two of the first to welcome you back are your friend Guildmaster Banedon, and your trusted advisor Lord Rimoah.
‘Thank Ishir you are alive, Banedon,’ you say clasping his hand in friendship. ‘In Holmgard they fear that you and Rimoah were killed aboard your skyship. It gladdens my heart to see this is not so.’
‘And it warms me to see you safely home, Grand Master,’ he replies.
‘Though we've been hard-pressed to keep your home safe in your absence,’ adds Lord Rimoah, with a wry smile.
‘You both have my deepest thanks,’ you reply. ‘You took a great risk in coming to the aid of the Kai. I have seen what became of your skyship, Banedon. You were indeed fortunate to have survived.’
‘Aye,’ he replies, sadly. ‘Yet, alas, three of my Brotherhood were not so blessed. They perished when the Lavas dragged us from the skies.’
‘Take heart, Banedon, for their deaths will not be in vain. They shall be avenged.’ And with these prophetic words you take the Sun-crystal from your pocket and show it to your grieving friend. ‘With this crystal I shall destroy the Shadow Gate and put an end to Naar's evil plan.’
Together with Banedon and Rimoah, you make a tour of the monastery to assess for yourself the extent of the battle damage. Your presence among the young Kai greatly improves their morale and strengthens their resolve to withstand the Lavas' siege. You visit every area of the monastery, including the Lore Hall of Solaris where the bodies of those slain in battle have been laid out, awaiting burial. It saddens you to see so many Kai dead and, as you walk among their still ranks, you recognize many in whom you had held high hopes: Spring Rain, Eastwind, Sharp Dove, Deep Heart, Frost Lark, and Firefly. As you turn to leave the Lore Hall, you vow to Banedon and Rimoah that the sacrifice they have made will never be forgotten.