Dawn of the Dragons (28 page)
You follow Gwynian through a series of corridors to a stable from where he brings forth a magnificent white stallion, the finest steed you have ever seen.
‘This is Wildwind, Grand Master,’ says Gwynian, as he strokes the steed's muscular neck. ‘He will carry you to Casiorn far swifter than any horse you have known. Swifter than even your own fine steed, Storm.’
You look into Wildwind's intelligent eyes and you detect the faint aura of magic about him. But it is not until you climb into the saddle that you sense his true power.
‘A thousand thanks, Gwynian. I am forever in your debt.’
And with these words you bid Gwynian farewell and leave the Halls of Learning. You depart from Varetta through its great east gate and, once outside the city, you spur Wildwind to the gallop. You are astounded by his speed and untiring stamina: Gwynian was right — he is the fastest horse you have ever ridden. In little more than an hour you have covered sixty miles. It is only when you find yourself approaching a stone bridge, commanded by a huge gated archway, that you are forced to rein him to a halt. Above the archway you notice the words ‘Denka Gate’ engraved into the stone. Below them, written in chalk, is the message ‘Toll — 4 Gold Crowns’.
After a few minutes, an unshaven old man emerges from a door set into this grand gate. He holds out his hand and demands that you pay him the toll.
If you wish to pay the gateman his toll of 4 Gold Crowns,
turn to 74
.
If you cannot pay, or if you do not wish to,
turn to 331
.
You leap over the bodies of your Eldenoran foes and make your way swiftly along the trench beyond. Suddenly there is a terrific boom, and a brilliant splash of blue-white fire illuminates the bridge behind you. It is the opening bombardment in yet another futile assault across the river.
The trench ahead is empty; its owners have already gone forward to support the new attack. When you reach the end, you scramble over its muddy parapet and race head-down across a stretch of open ground towards a distant wood.
Suddenly you feel your throat tighten, and the skin on your face and the backs of your hands begins to itch. With mounting dread you realize that you have been walking into an area which is infested with a virulent plague. Hurriedly, you run from the town as fast as you can, thankful that your Grand Master Discipline affords you some protection from the deadly plague virus which has decimated the population of Nursha, and turned it into a ghost town.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If the number you have chosen is even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8), deduct 5
ENDURANCE
points from your current total. If the number you have picked is odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9), deduct 3
ENDURANCE
points.
If you have survived your visit to Nursha,
turn to 193
.
Cautiously you place your ear close to the trembling man's mouth and try to identify the name he is struggling hard to utter.
‘L … L … Lutha,’ he breathes. Then he gives a chilling snigger and you feel the hairs on the nape of your neck begin to rise. Your Sixth Sense is screaming a warning: you are in danger. With his tongue, the prisoner dislodges a hollow tooth and bites down hard upon it. It releases a vile greenish gas which he exhales directly into your face.
If you possess the Discipline of Grand Nexus,
turn to 148
.
If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 261
.
With renewed vigour you swim against the powerful current and reach the distant shore. As you emerge from the water you are thankful for two reasons: for having survived the crossing, and for having escaped in one piece from the hostile land of Eldenora.
Once you are 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 weapons shop.
If you wish to enter this armoury,
turn to 339
.
If you decide not to enter,
turn to 36
.
You resolve to reach a clearing in the Fryelund Forest, a mile to the east of the monastery, where a secret entrance and passageway are located. The passage leads directly to your vault beneath the Tower of the Sun and it is your intention to gain entry to the monastery by this way. But no sooner have you begun to run for the trees, than a flight of winged Lavas comes soaring out of the clouds overhead. Swiftly you throw yourself to the ground and pray that they will not see you as they fly towards the ridge.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1.
If your total score is now 3 or less,
turn to 314
.
If it is 4 or more,
turn to 51
.
You press yourself as flat as you can against the sheer rock-face of the ravine, and manage to hold tight until the deluge of loose shale ceases to fall. Once the dust has cleared, you find the remainder of the climb relatively easy, and you scramble quickly to the top of the ravine. There you pause for a few moments to check that your equipment is still intact, and then you hurry away from the ravine, heading north.
You decline Dorst's offer politely and make an excuse that you are tired after your long day's ride. As he and his men settle down to a night's gambling, you go and check to see that your horse is comfortable. You are busy gathering some grasses for his feed when suddenly a shriek echoes through the hills — it is the unmistakable cry of a Kraan.
If you possess Kai-screen,
turn to 221
.
If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 99
.
‘Eeeargh!’ snorts the old man, impatiently, and begins to walk back to the door. ‘Raggin' time-waster!’
Rather than being forced to make a long detour to avoid this bridge, you decide to try to barter with the gateman. Your proposal captures his interest and he demands to see what valuables you have. You show him your possessions and, after a few minutes thought, he agrees to let you pass in return for one of your Special Items (excluding the Sun-crystal).
Wary of the delay, you agree to his terms. (Erase one Special Item of your choosing from your
Action Chart
.)
To continue,
turn to 74
.
Suddenly an explosion of scarlet light fills your vision and the taste of blood fills your mouth: you have been hit in the head by a crossbow bolt. Mercifully, death comes instantaneously.
Sadly, though, your life and your journey home come to an abrupt end here, in the cold, dark waters of the River Reloni.
‘Thank you, thank you … ’ cries the young woman, whose child you have just saved from certain death at the hands of the drunken thug. Sobbing with gratitude, she collapses at your feet. Gently you lift her by the arm and assure her with kind words that her ordeal is over. She smiles, reassured, but her expression quickly changes when she spots something moving behind you.
‘There he is, that cur Holkar!’ she spits. ‘He's the murdering leader of these bandits. This chaos is his doing.’
Illustration XIX—‘There he is, that cur Holkar!’ she spits. ‘He's the murdering leader of these bandits!’
You turn to look at the object of her hatred, and see a swarthy brigand dodging between the gravestones that line the abbey grounds. He has a sack full of loot slung over his shoulder and he is hurrying towards his horse which stands close by the abbey's perimeter wall. Determined not to let him escape, you rush across the road and into the grounds of the abbey to give chase.
With a prayer to the Goddess Ishir on your lips, you release your straining bowstring and send the Arrow whistling towards the dragon's head.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have chosen is 0–8,
turn to 76
.
If it is 9,
turn to 265
.
You sheathe your weapon and wheel your horse away from the shouting guardsmen. Spurring him to the gallop, you scatter and trample a score of soldiers as you attempt to escape along the crowded west road. Soon the cry goes up to stop you and, when you are only a few hundred yards away from the gatehouse, your horse is brought crashing to the ground by an arrow in its right foreleg.
A mass of angry Eldenorans closes in and hold you firm until the garrison sergeant and his men catch up. Roughly they force you to your knees and quickly bind your hands with cord. Then your Weapons, Belt Pouch, Backpack, and cape are all confiscated (delete these from your
Action Chart
; you need not erase any Special Items, however, as none of these are taken. These Eldenoran soldiers are especially superstitious and fearful of touching magical weapons and artefacts).
Minutes later 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 the horses and steers his rickety cart back to the gatehouse and into the dark streets of Duadon beyond. 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 mercilessly with staves (lose 3
ENDURANCE
points) before imprisoning you in a circular pit infested with vermin.
With stunning speed and accuracy, you let loose an Arrow at the leading Eldenoran rider. The tip punctures his forehead and sends him tumbling backwards, his limbs flailing wildly, to disappear into the tall plains grass. Shocked by your bow-skill, the brigand leader shouts a recall to his men. They wheel about and form up in a line behind him, cursing you for the death of their confederate. Then, with a vengeful yell, the brigand chief leads his gang of ruffians in a charge he hopes will trample you into the ground.
You shoulder your Bow and draw a hand weapon as the wave of brigands come thundering down upon you. The leader flashes past, his sword blade whistling inches from your scalp, but he does not get very far. You turn in the saddle and strike like lightning, splitting his helmet and his skull with a single mighty blow. He falls before his men, but they prove to be hardy rogues and they press home their attack regardless.
Eldenoran brigands:
COMBAT SKILL
50
ENDURANCE
45
You may evade this combat after four rounds by
turning to 182
.
If you win this fight,
turn to 109
.
You rush to the brigand's side and wrench the dagger from his chest. The wound is deep and you sense that it has penetrated his heart; he has only seconds to live. Calling upon your advanced healing skills, you cause the torn tissues of his heart wall to knit together sufficiently enough to stem the bleeding.
‘How do you know my name?’ you demand. ‘Who sent you here? What is your purpose?’
The brigand tries to smile through his pain and a trickle of crimson blood runs from the corner of his mouth.
‘You … you are the reason I'm here,’ he whispers. ‘I came here looking to finish you. I am finished now … Lutha will not be pleased.’
Then a fit of coughing re-opens his punctured heart. With a final gurgling gasp, he expires in your arms. You get to your feet and look around at the devastation he and his men have brought to the sleepy village of Pinepeaks. Leaderless, the remaining brigands abandon their loot and flee to the wooded hills to rejoin their confederates, those who attempted to ambush the troop when first you entered this valley. Nathor's men have secured the village and they are helping the villagers to fight the fires which are burning in several of the cottages.