Dawn of the Dragons (21 page)
You leave the thieves lying dead and bleeding outside the door to their sinister guild-house. Coming from inside, you can hear the sound of running feet and angry voices. Before more of the thieves appear, you vault onto your horse and gallop away along Spur Lane, retracing your route back to the square at the city's South Gate. On returning here, you rein in your panting horse and pause to consider the remaining two exits from the square.
If you wish to go north into Ladder Way,
turn to 308
.
If you choose to go west into Quill Street,
turn to 194
.
You press yourself as flat as you can against the sheer rock-face of the ravine, but a heavy boulder glances your shoulder and you lose your precarious grip. Frantically you scrabble for a handhold, but already you are falling backwards amidst a cloud of choking dust and loose shale. With a sickening thud, you smash head-first into the boulder-strewn ground at the base of the ravine.
Tragically, your life and your journey home come to an abrupt end here in Eldenora.
You hear the hiss of the crossbow bolt in flight, and then suddenly an explosion of white light fills your vision and the taste of blood fills your mouth: you have been shot in the base of the skull by an iron bolt and, mercifully, death is virtually instantaneous.
Sadly, your life and your journey home come to an abrupt end here, in the timberlands of southern Eldenora.
Using your Discipline, you launch a concentrated burst of psychic energy at the drunken thug. The bolt penetrates his mind and stuns him, causing him to freeze like a stone statue (reduce your
ENDURANCE
points score by 1).
Unfortunately, this temporary paralysis also prevents the young woman and her child from breaking free from his grasp. After a few moments the thug emerges from his state of psychic shock in a murderous mood, and you are forced to draw your weapon and rush towards him in an effort to stop him before he can enact his revenge on his innocent captive's child.
Your hurried blow rips a jagged hole in the wing of the beast, and, suddenly off-balanced by the wound, it loses control and slams into the ground with a sickening crunch. You give a cry of elation, and then you hear Captain D'Val's strident voice rising above the din of the 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. 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 completely below the surface of the Storn, you force yourself to intone the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Breathe Water
. Immediately, you feel the fatigue melting away from your aching limbs as you absorb oxygen directly from the river itself. Powered by a surge of renewed energy, you are able to strike out afresh for the opposite bank.
Calling upon your Kai Mastery, you are able to vault across the opening fissures and reach the Shadow Gate uninjured. With the hellish screams of the Dark God Naar ringing in your ears, you hurl yourself through the Shadow Gate into the whirling abyss beyond.
As the riders approach, your initial suspicions are confirmed: these are unquestionably Eldenoran brigands. Their saddle-cloths bear the emblem of their realm, and their steeds are laden with sacks and pouches that bulge with ill-gotten gains. You remain hidden until they have passed by, and then, to be doubly sure you wait until the dust of their horses' hooves disappears beyond the horizon.
During your wait, unless your possess Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
To continue,
turn to 340
.
You race through the gatehouse arch just moments before the heavy portcullis comes crashing down. Without daring to look back, you urge your horse across the wooden drawbridge and along the open track that lies beyond. The angry shouts of the gate guards echo from the battlements but so too do the unexpected sounds of clanking chains and baying hounds.
You have covered more than half a mile when you chance a glance over your shoulder. To your dismay you see that you are being pursued by a snarling pack of wolf-like creatures with drooling fangs and eyes that gleam menacingly in the darkness. An icy chill invades your heart. These are no ordinary hunting hounds — these are hellish beasts born of a dark sorcery.
Soon you reach the tributary bridge that is lined with statues, and you catch sight of the twinkling lights of Scade about a mile beyond. The feral pack are closing fast and you know that your encumbered horse cannot outpace them indefinitely. You must do something to delay them, if you and Nathor are to escape in one piece.
If you possess the discipline of Magi-magic and have reached the Kai rank of Grand Thane,
turn to 322
.
If you possess Kai-surge and have reached the Kai rank of Grand Thane,
turn to 281
.
If you do not possess these skills, or if you have yet to attain the necessary level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 195
.
‘Sommerlund?’ answers the innkeeper, quizzically. ‘I'm afraid not, kind sir. Your home must be mor'n six hundred miles from 'ere. It's rare we gets to hear what's goin' on in Varetta and that's only twenty five miles t'north.’
Hearing the innkeeper mention how far it is to Sommerlund brings a leaden feeling to your stomach. You still have far to go and so little time in which to accomplish your urgent journey. Feeling chastened by the daunting number of miles you must ride, you bid the innkeeper and his daughter goodnight and retire quietly to your room.
You try to swim against the current, but your recent ordeal in Duadon has greatly weakened your constitution. The strength in your limbs is ebbing fast, and, with mounting panic, you feel unable to prevent yourself from sinking beneath the surface of the Storn.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Knight,
turn to 5
.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Thane or higher,
turn to 227
.
If you possess Telegnosis and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Lord or higher,
turn to 264
.
If you possess none of these skills, or if you have yet to attain the necessary levels of Kai Mastery,
turn to 251
.
The Lavas veers away from you and uses its wings to deflect the Sun-crystal. With dismay you watch as the glowing crystal drops harmlessly among the rocks, below the entrance to the Shadow Gate. Hurriedly you scramble over the jagged granite in a desperate attempt to retrieve the Sun-crystal, but in doing so you lose your footing and fall heavily among the rocks: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
The shrieking Lavas snatches you off the mountainside and soars into the air. At first you struggle to free yourself from its mighty claws, but then you see the creature is carrying you directly towards the yawning black maw of the Shadow Gate and you freeze with shock.
Moments before entering this hellish abyss, you look down and get a passing glimpse of the Sun-crystal lying among the rocks, no more than thirty feet from the entrance to the Shadow Gate.
If you possess Grand Nexus and have reached the Kai rank of Grand Thane,
turn to 247
.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 88
.
You place five Gold Crowns (or 20 Lune) on the blacksmith's anvil (remember to adjust your
Action Chart
) and he nods his approval.
‘Leave y' horse outside and come back in an hour — I'll 'ave it done by then.’
After the explosion at the ford, you sense that the regiment is more wary of the surrounding forest. You proceed at a slower, more cautious pace, and keep a watchful eye on the trail ahead. You have not gone very far when your eagle-eyes detect something amiss in the undergrowth away to your right. You magnify your vision and see a patch of grey among the greens of the forest floor. After a few moments you recognize it to be the sole of a man's boot.
If you wish to halt the troop and examine what you have seen more closely,
turn to 171
.
If you decide to ignore it and continue along the trail,
turn to 280
.
As soon as your feet touch the ground, the sergeant and his men swarm around you and force you to your knees. Quickly they bind your hands with cord and confiscate your Weapons, Belt Pouch, Backpack, and cape (delete these from your
Action Chart
; you need not erase your Special Items, however, as none of these are taken. These Eldenoran soldiers are especially superstitious and fearful of touching magical weapons and artefacts).
Then the staff-wielding Cener arrives with a horse-drawn cart into which the soldiers bundle you unceremoniously. The robed druid cackles like a crazed maniac, ecstatic at having identified and captured Lone Wolf — the destroyer of so many of his evil brethren. His vile laughter echoes in your ears as he lashes his horses and steers his rickety cart through the dark streets of Duadon. After a short and bruising journey at breakneck speed, you pass beneath the imposing arch of Skull-Tor, the fortified bastion of Duadon's long line of past rulers, and descend a stone ramp to an underground gaol. Here you are greeted by a squad of brutal guards who beat you with staves (lose 3
ENDURANCE
points) before imprisoning you in a circular pit infested with vermin.
You ride across this busy square into an avenue that heads north, towards the heart of Varetta. Apothecaries and candle-makers' shops flank this wide street until it opens upon an ornate park filled with rare and beautiful flowers. The sight and scent of these blooms are entrancing and, before you are aware of any change, you find yourself intoxicated by their powerful aroma.
‘Awake, Grand Master,’ says an old man's voice in your ear. ‘You have no time to dream.’
You accept Lord Constable Nathor's offer of an escort to Queen Evaine's citadel and call to Lord Ardan, who has been watching from the deck of the
Saxin
, to come and join you. As Ardan disembarks, Nathor gives a signal to his men who are busy keeping an inquisitive crowd of citizens at bay. Hurriedly they clear a gap in the pressing wall of curious, wide-eyed Garthenians, and moments later the horse-drawn coach comes trundling through towards the quay.
Once you and Ardan are safely aboard, Lord Constable Nathor shouts a terse command to the driver and the coach speeds away from the harbour, escorted by the troop of Court Cavalry. A swervingly swift journey through Garthen's steeply narrow streets ends when the coachman reins in his horses in the courtyard of the Royal Citadel. Everywhere you look you see soldiers of the Royal Household in uniforms bedecked with glittering braid. A fanfare of trumpets announces your arrival and, with minimal delay, Nathor escorts you personally to the State Hall where Queen Evaine of Talestria, seated upon a throne and surrounded by a dozen of her court advisors, is waiting patiently for you to appear.
‘Welcome, Grand Master,’ she says, graciously. ‘We have been expecting you. King Sarnac sent word of your arrival by message-hawk and we have made arrangements to help speed your passage homewards.’
Respectfully you bow to the queen and voice your thanks for the cooperation she has seen fit to offer you.
‘Not at all, Grand Master, for Talestria is in your debt. Were it not for you, our land would be in the thrall of the Darklords.’
With this, Queen Evaine dismisses her advisors and motions for you, Ardan, and Lord Constable Nathor to approach to the foot of her throne.
‘I understand the urgency of your journey, Grand Master,’ she says, her voice hushed as if she fears being overheard, ‘but I must caution you to be on guard. The Dark God Naar's agents are abroad with plans to thwart your homecoming. I have received word from my garrisons in the north that Zlanbeast and Kraan riders have been sighted in the night skies. They venture forth from the ruins of the Darklord cities of Nadgazad and Cragmantle, sent by the express command of Naar himself. They know now that you triumphed in Ixia and they are watching expectantly for your coming.’
‘I thank you for this information, your Majesty, but I am sure that I can avoid these night-riders,’ you reply confidently.
‘I have no doubt of this, Grand Master,’ she says, ‘but they are not the only agents in Naar's employ. Word of your coming has spread like wildfire throughout the shadowy underworld of thieves and assassins. Great rewards of gold and dark magic have been offered for your death.’
‘With respect, your majesty,’ you reply, tactfully masking your scepticism, ‘how do you know this to be true?’
‘Grand Master, it is true. I have heard it from the very lips of an assassin who was plotting your murder, here, in the heart of my capital. He was captured while attempting to recruit others and he is being held prisoner in the dungeons of this citadel. Perhaps you would welcome the chance to question this man yourself?’
If you wish to accept Queen Evaine's offer and question your would-be assassin,
turn to 132
.
If you choose not to question the prisoner,
turn to 111
.