Mydnight's Hero (32 page)
In one fluid practised movement, you draw an Arrow to your Bow and let it fly towards the onrushing lancer. The man's eyes widen with terror as he sees your deadly shaft hurtling towards him, and desperately he twists aside to avoid it. The Arrow misses by a hair's breadth, yet the lancer does not survive your shot. He loses his balance and tumbles out of the saddle to crash down, head-first, upon the cobblestoned passageway.
The horseman stops to stare out across the endless rows of tree stumps. Slowly he shakes his head, and then he looks up at the darkening sky and you hear him curse the failing light. In the distance, one of his comrades shouts his name and beckons him to rejoin the wagons. Begrudgingly he acknowledges the call. He slams his sabre back into its steel scabbard and returns to his horse. Patiently you watch him climb into the saddle and ride away before you rise from your hiding place and call for Prince Karvas to show himself.
While you are examining the valuable items that fill the shelves of this luxurious apartment, you become aware that this is Baron Sadanzo's personal chamber. Karvas inspects the golden ornaments and tapestries with a critical eye. He informs you that most of this treasure has been ill-gotten, either looted from the estates of the Baron's enemies, or purchased abroad with tax money extorted from the citizens of Cavalia. From among the vast array of treasures hoarded here, there are only three items that catch your eye: a Golden Hunting Horn, a Jewelled Tankard, and Sadanzo's Seal. If you decide to take any of these three treasures, you must carry them in your Backpack.
Having satisfied yourself that you have examined every item of interest in this chamber, you motion Karvas to follow as you draw aside the draperies and explore the adjoining chamber.
As you race towards the ruined stronghold ahead of the surging flood, you are struck on the neck by a fist-sized chunk of granite.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–3,
turn to 195
.
If it is 4–8,
turn to 8
.
If it is 9,
turn to 147
.
As the
Starstrider
begins to descend there is a loud explosion. From his nest atop the mainmast, the lookout shouts out a warning and frantically he points towards the ground. You rush to the rail and peer over the side, your stomach churning with fearful anticipation of what you will see. Deep within the fathomless reaches of the fissures and chasms passing below, you glimpse flashes of blue-white energy. These bolts are growing brighter and louder as they streak towards the surface. One bolt escapes from a vent in the middle distance and rips open the sky. It skewers a cluster of steam clouds and blows them apart in a loud and spectacular explosion of gas and flame. You urge Acraban to order his helmsman to ascend, this time to avoid the new and deadly danger that is striking at you from below. The wizard hesitates before turning to Kuo, but before he can issue the counter-order, there is a deafening
Crack!
from somewhere beneath the stern.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–2,
turn to 268
.
If it is 3–7,
turn to 149
.
If it is 8 or 9,
turn to 341
.
Using your mastery of Elementalism, you stir up the dirt around the feet of the nearest shrine-bearer and project this cloud of grit at his face. Instinctively he releases his hold of the platform and cups his hands to his stinging eyes. Without his support the platform tilts over and the tiger-head idol tumbles from its wooden base. It hits the cobblestones with a mighty crash, shatters in two, and releases a whirling cone of red flame from its hollow core that engulfs the bearers. In the blink of an eye the four men are transformed into smouldering heaps of ash.
Cries of fear and outrage echo along the street as the Bakhasian soldiers witness the deaths of their comrades and the destruction of their unholy symbol. Before they can gather themselves and give chase, you and Karvas rush across the street and make a hasty escape along the dark alleyway beyond.
The morning sky is filled with brooding clouds and the surrounding granite peaks appear hostile and unforgiving, but you draw some comfort from the fact that the rain has ceased and you are able to ride this ancient mountain trail with little difficulty. It is nearing midday when you catch your first glimpse of the wastelands that lie to the east, far beyond the Dammerdon Range. These are the Doomlands of Naaros and your heart fills with dread when you recall something of what you learned about this region during your teachings at the Kai Monastery.
This vast wasteland of dust and ash was formerly the seat of power of the greatest, most evil being who ever ruled Magnamund — Agarash the Damned. At its centre there once stood his mighty fortress-city of Naaros; now all that remains is a titanic chasm of molten lava and heat-fused rock. Ten millennia ago, the gods Ishir and Kai sent forth the magical Elder Magi to challenge the rule of Agarash, and they undertook a daring assault upon Naaros and its fell inhabitants, the Agarashi — the Creatures of Darkness. This attack precipitated a war which lasted a thousand years and culminated in the destruction of Agarash and his accursed empire. Once there were many cities and fortresses in the Doomlands; now there are none.
As you continue along the trail you pass several waystones that are set into the ground at regular intervals. They are not ancient stones for they each bear the symbol of Sejanoz, and your Kai senses detect that these carvings are no more than a decade old. Karvas suspects that Sejanoz has had them placed here as a form of homage to the memory of Agarash. Throughout Southern Magnamund it is rumoured that the spirit of Agarash lives on, imprisoned within the molten ruins of Naaros.
If you possess Grand Pathsmanship and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Sentinel,
turn to 348
.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 238
.
When the Prince recovers consciousness he can hardly believe his eyes. The chill, spartan surroundings of the chapel have somehow transformed into the warm, rich opulence of Lodamos' personal chamber. The fearsome ghost of Knight Ranald has disappeared, yet he is now confronted by a sight he finds equally difficult to reconcile: Baron Lodamos happily conversing with you over a plate of roasted pheasant and sweet potatoes! The Baron, upon seeing that the Prince has regained consciousness, goes and kneels at the side of his divan. Carefully he explains all that has occurred since Karvas lost consciousness, and he begs the Prince to forgive him for the ordeal he has been made to suffer. To redress his conduct, the Baron pledges that he will do all he can to help you both reach Seroa in time for the crowning ceremony on Harvestmas Day.
If you possess Sadanzo's Scroll,
turn to 126
.
If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 317
.
The smooth surface of the tower wall proves to be a minor obstruction to someone of your ability and you ascend effortlessly, like a spider, towards the second-storey window. On reaching the window you pull yourself through the open frame and drop down onto the steps of a stone stairway beyond. This circular staircase leads to the top of the tower which commands a magnificent view of the city. Aided by your night vision, you are able to locate stables less than a mile to the north of the tower. You commit their location to memory and then hurriedly you descend the stairs and return to the window. Once more you use your climbing skills, this time to make a speedy descent to the street below.
Prince Karvas is delighted to hear that there are stables in the city, and he insists that you set off for them at once. He is leading the way out of the warehouse ruins when suddenly the tower bell begins to toll once more. Moments later, the temple doors swing open and the procession of black-clad figures file out into the street. Instinctively you take hold of Karvas by the arm and pull him back into the ruins to avoid being seen by the emerging soldiers. As they pass by, you peer around the edge of the crumbling warehouse doorway to watch them. A strange feeling of unease makes the skin on the back of your neck prickle, and immediately you sense that all is not what it seems. When you magnify your vision to take a closer look at the passing figures, you gasp with shock at what you see.
You stagger painfully to your feet and try to focus on your surroundings. Through a pall of smoke you hear the groans of wounded crewmen and the crackling buzz of electrical arcing. Steam rises from a gaping hole in the stern deck and a fire rages around the base of the mainmast. Prince Karvas emerges unscathed from the rope locker and quickly he helps you to smother this fire. Then he gives first aid to a crewman who is lying nearby, nursing a broken knee. Acraban comes staggering out of the smoke. His robes are torn and a trickle of blood runs from a cut above his right ear. You use your Magnakai Curing skills to heal the wizard's wound and then together you help evacuate the injured crewmen from the crippled skyship. Acraban orders Bo'sun Gora to go and assess the state of the crew. He returns shortly and reports that from the ship's original complement of ten men, three are now missing, three are wounded, and one is dead. The remaining three crewmen, himself included, have survived the crash with only minor injuries.
Illustration XVII—Prince Karvas emerges unscathed from the rope locker.
Using your Magnakai Curing skills, you ease the pain of the badly-injured crewmen before helping Karvas and Gora to bury the dead man — Kuo the helmsman. The area surrounding the crashed skyship is thickly wooded and, with night fast approaching and a sky heavy with clouds, it is impossible for you to determine your exact location. Acraban proposes to contact Lord Zinair to inform him of the disaster by means of his seeing stone. But, to his dismay, he soon discovers that the magical artefact has been lost in the crash.
As the darkness of night envelops the smouldering wreck of the
Starstrider
, you find it hard to suppress a growing sense of despair. It is a mood shared by the other survivors, and few words are exchanged as you work together to erect a makeshift shelter for the wounded beside the ship's battered keel. When the shelter is finished, you each look for a place nearby where you can lie down and attempt to recover from the fatigue of your terrible ordeal.
Before you try to get some sleep, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
To continue,
turn to 331
.
In the ensuing confusion, Sadanzo attempts to flee the platform and escape with his entourage of robber knights. Marshal Phedros rushes forward to examine the shattered pieces of Sadanzo's gem, and at once he recognizes that they are the remnants of an evil artefact crafted by Naar — the King of the Darkness.
He turns to the bewildered crowd and denounces Sadanzo as a disciple of Naar: a treasonable offence in Siyen that is punishable by death. He orders the Royal Guard to pursue and arrest Sadanzo immediately. ‘Find him and take him to the palace dungeons,’ he commands. Upon hearing this, a vast section of the stunned crowd roar their approval and sporadic fighting breaks out as followers of Sadanzo attempt to battle their way out of the square. Marshal Phedros orders that the city gates be sealed, and then he commands the Royal Court Cavalry to hunt down Sadanzo's robber knights, in every quarter of Seroa, and bring them to justice. As these noble troopers eagerly set about their task, Phedros turns to Prince Karvas and hugs him to his chest.
‘Welcome home at last,’ he says, his voice wavering with emotion. ‘Welcome home … King Karvas.’