Dawn of the Dragons (23 page)
Suddenly, you are gripped by spasms which paralyse your leg and stomach muscles. Incapacitated by cramp, you are unable to prevent yourself from sinking rapidly to the bottom of the River Storn.
Tragically, your life and your journey home to Sommerlund end here.
You request the King to excuse you from the council of war for a few moments. He grants your request, thinking that you wish to be alone to grieve the loss of your friends, Banedon and Rimoah, and he allows you the use of his royal chamber.
Once you are alone, you use your Kai Mastery to attempt to make contact with Guildmaster Banedon telepathically. You concentrate with all your power, straining your psychic energies in your effort to connect with your friend's mind. To your surprise, you detect a barrier in the ethereal plane, a wall of dark energy that has been placed there purposefully to prevent telepathic contact. You sense that the barrier is the work of the Dark God Naar and you call on all your reserves of psychic strength in an effort to break through it.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. For every level of Kai rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, add 1 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 7 or less,
turn to 312
.
If it is 8 or more,
turn to 286
.
You draw on your Magnakai skill of Psi-screen to protect your mind from Roark's assault, but before it can deflect his attack, you suffer the numbing effects of psychic shock: lose 5
ENDURANCE
points.
As you recover your senses, you see his ghastly apparition galloping past. It stirs in its wake a whirling maelstrom that is filled with rocks, broken glass, and other city debris. This whirlwind assails you physically and knocks you to the ground.
Ghost of Roark:
COMBAT SKILL
48
ENDURANCE
30
You conduct this combat in the normal way. If you possess a Jewelled Mace, you may add +3 to your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of this fight. While attacking the ghost of Roark using your psychic Kai abilities, you must defend yourself from the injurious effects of the debris-storm. Only by defeating Roark's ghost in combat will you cause the maelstrom to cease.
If you win the combat,
turn to 146
.
You focus your psychic powers and launch a pulse of energy at the prisoner's mind in an attempt to weaken his resolve (reduce your
ENDURANCE
score by 1 point). You sense that his memory is protected by a magical shield, but it proves to be ineffective against your psychic probe. The man shrieks with fear as his body is racked by uncontrollable tremors.
You command the prisoner to reveal the identity of the person who sent him here to Garthen to murder you, and a mass of images begin to swirl and solidify in your mind's eye. They are the images of a past meeting in a far-off place which you recognize to be Duadon, the capital city of Eldenora. You see a shadowy figure, sheathed in ornate chainmail, handing a bulging pouch of gold to the prisoner in a dimly lit alleyway. The figure speaks your name before melting away into the shadows.
‘Who is this person?’ you say, commanding the trembling prisoner to answer. He parts his bruised lips and tries to utter a name but no sound emerges. You sense that he is fighting to overcome the remnants of the shielding spell placed upon his mind. Moving closer, you try to make out the name he is struggling hard to whisper.
Cearmaine is overcome with grief by his son's death. With trembling hands he takes the bloodstained tunic from beneath the young man's head, unfolds it, and drapes it over his lifeless body. To your surprise, you note the insignia on the lapels are similar to those on Cearmaine's uniform; his son held the rank of captain, the same as his father.
‘I must go to his regiment,’ he says, his voice wavering. ‘It is right and fitting that I take command of them now.’
After attending to the burial of his son, the grieving captain returns to the Canatarium to find out where his son's regiment is stationed. He learns they are at the Reloni Bridge, at the very heart of the battle. Before he leaves, he thanks you for trying to save his son's life and he suggests two routes by which you can reach the distant city of Casiorn from here.
The first route is the most direct, but it is also the most hazardous. It requires you to pass through the enemy lines at the Reloni Bridge, cross the southern tip of Eldenora, and then continue your journey north by way of the Slovarian Plain.
The second route will avoid the fighting at the Reloni Bridge, but it would mean having to pass through the city of Duadon — Prince Lutha's stronghold.
(Consult the
map
before making your choice.)
If you choose to take the Reloni Bridge/Slovarian Plain route to Casiorn,
turn to 271
.
If you decide to take the Duadon/Rhem route instead,
turn to 38
.
You return to the Grand Hall where Banedon and Rimoah tell you of the location of the Shadow Gate.
‘Kai scouts sighted it in the foothills of the Durncrag Mountains, less than five miles distant, at a place called Raven's Eyrie,’ says Banedon.
‘I know this place,’ you say. ‘My old tutor, Storm Hawk, and I camped there on a hunting trip when I was an acolyte, before the war with Darklord Zagarna. There is a track that leads there — I know it well.’
You are determined to destroy the Shadow Gate and you resolve to go to Raven's Eyrie tonight, to carry out the mission. Also you are aware that tomorrow is a very special day. It is Fehmarn — the first day of Spring, a holy day in Sommerlund when traditionally all of the Kai gather at the monastery to reaffirm their fealty to King Ulnar and the God Kai. It is also the anniversary of the massacre of the First Order, the day upon which all of your warrior caste, save you, were massacred by Darklord Zagarna's hordes.
‘I will destroy the Shadow Gate tonight,’ you vow resolutely, ‘and tomorrow we shall celebrate Fehmarn, secure in the knowledge that a lasting peace has returned to our land.’
Moments later, a doleful bell sounds from atop the Durncrag Tower: it is the alarm.
‘Hurry, my lords!’ shouts a young Kai Savant who comes rushing breathlessly into the Grand Hall. ‘The enemy are attacking in force!’
‘To your battle positions, my lords!’ you command, as you stride towards the door. ‘The time has come for you to avenge your dead brothers. Fight well! Fight true! The spirit of the Sun-god Kai is with us this night!’
A great cloud of winged Lavas is speeding towards the monastery from the northwest and they will arrive within a few minutes at most. As you watch the young Kai Lords arm themselves and take up their positions around the monastery, you consider where best to position yourself for the imminent battle.
If you wish to join the acolytes who are lining the battlements of the North Watch,
turn to 114
.
If you choose to fight from the top of the Tower of the Sun, the highest point in the Kai Monastery,
turn to 158
.
The numbing blast leaves you slumped against the wall of the pit. Rather than invite a second devastating blast from Lutha's Ring of Power, you pretend to be dead in the hope that you may be able to escape when Lutha's guards come to dispose of your body.
High above you, you hear Prince Lutha howling delightedly at the sight of your seemingly dead corpse. He calls for his guards and, a few minutes later, you hear them entering the pit. There follows the tinny sound of metal scraping on metal before you feel yourself being lifted by the shoulders and feet and lowered into a slippery chute. A wave of panic makes you open your eyes and struggle to break free of their grip. This sudden and unexpected resurrection in turn makes the guards scream and drop you. They scurry away, gibbering like idiots, and you are left to slide headlong down a chute which leads to a fast-flowing underground river. You hit the cold waters head-first and are carried swiftly away by the strong undercurrent.
You tumble head-first down the slope and knock yourself unconscious on a jagged outcrop. Minutes later, the halo of energy which surrounds the Shadow Gate begins to crackle fiercely. The surge of energy has great significance, for on the Plane of Darkness, Naar has just consigned his newest champions to the Shadow Gate through which you escaped from his realm.
As the first rays of the dawn sun spread across the surrounding rocks, the first of Naar's mighty dragon herd emerge from the Shadow Gate. Drawn by the glow of the Sun-crystal, they descend on your unconscious form and, in a frenzy of retribution, they rend you limb from limb.
Tragically, on the threshold of victory, your life and the future of Sommerlund end here.
Lacking cash, you decide instead to try to barter with the blacksmith in return for his services. You offer him a choice of any item in your Backpack and, after some initial reluctance, he decides to accept. (Erase the third item you have recorded on your list of Backpack Items.)
‘Alright, stranger,’ he says, tossing the item on a bench at the rear of the smithy, ‘leave y' horse outside and come back in an hour — I'll 'ave it done by then.’
From the cover of the trees, you first use your Magnakai Nexus Discipline to cause one of the horse's reins to become untied from the rail. Then you summon the steed using your Animal Mastery. The horse responds without hesitation and soon you are back in the saddle once more, heading 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 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
.
You pull away from the bitter green cloud and fall back towards the cell door. Your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus offers some protection from this highly poisonous gas, but you are not completely safe from its effect: lose 5
ENDURANCE
points.
The gaoler and Lord Nathor were standing several paces from the prisoner when he exhaled, yet even so they are affected by the insidious poison. Choking and retching, they collapse to the floor, their fingers scrabbling at their swelling throats as they fight desperately for breath. You grab hold of their tunics, one in each hand, and drag their bodies out of the cell into the cleaner air of the corridor beyond. Here you use your Magnakai Discipline of Curing to ease the effects of the poison gas; your skill and the swiftness of your actions undoubtedly save them from a painful, suffocating death.
‘Wha … what happened?’ wheezes Nathor, as he slowly recovers from the effects of the gas.
You peer into the cell at the man now hanging limply in chains, and then you turn to Nathor and say: ‘Suicide. A suicide and an attempted murder, that is. The prisoner has just killed himself with a poison pellet and it seems his last wish was to take all three of us with him.’
Rather than take the risk of serious injury in a fall, you intone the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Levitation
, and slowly you rise to the top of the ravine. Once safely on firm ground, you cancel the spell and continue on your way, heading north.
The shock of the creature's attack lifts you physically from your horse's back, and it is only your agility and determination which save you from crashing to the ground.
You heave yourself back into the saddle and hold fast as the beast swoops away into the meadow. Then you hear Captain D'Val's strident voice rising above the din of battle:
‘Ride on, Lone Wolf!’ he shouts. ‘Ride to the monastery!’
You glance over your shoulder and see the captain and his men locked in combat with the winged creatures. More are swooping in from the east now, drawn by the cries of their brothers. The tide of the battle is turning against D'Val's men and your heart goes out to them as they struggle bravely against increasing odds. Your instinct is to turn back, but you heed the captain's plea and urge your horse on towards the top of the ridge. You know that the best way you can serve these courageous men now is to reach the Kai Monastery and destroy the Shadow Gate.
Before your face disappears for the last time below the surface of the Storn, you call upon your Kai Mastery to lighten your body weight. The increased buoyancy raises you in the water and enables you to keep your head above the surface. Gradually, you feel the fatigue melting away from your aching limbs and you are able to strike out afresh for the opposite bank.