Dawn of the Dragons (5 page)
In order to find the quickest route from Vadera to your Kai Monastery you may well have to pass through several wild and dangerous regions of Magnamund. Be wary and on your guard at all times, for the agents of the Dark God Naar are abroad and they will do everything in their power to thwart your safe return.
Some of the things that you will find or encounter during your mission will be of use to you in this and future
Lone Wolf
books, while others may be red herrings of no real value at all. If you discover items, be selective in what you choose to keep.
Pick your Grand Master Disciplines with care for a wise choice will enable any player to complete the quest, no matter how weak their initial
COMBAT SKILL
and
ENDURANCE
scores may be. Successful completion of previous
Lone Wolf
adventures, although an advantage, is not essential for the completion of this Grand Master adventure.
May the light of the Gods Kai and Ishir make swift your return to your endangered homeland.
For Sommerlund and the Kai!
You set sail from Vadera harbour on a bitterly cold, grey, late winter's day. The masts of your host ship, the Lencian clipper
Saxin
, have been rigged with every available square inch of canvas to catch the prevailing winds that will, with luck, propel you quickly to Talestria — the first stage of your long journey home. The clipper is a sleek and impressive craft and its departure does not go unnoticed, yet of all the many Lencians who have turned out to watch and wave it farewell, only King Sarnac and his closest advisors know the true purpose of its voyage.
Once the
Saxin
is beyond the sheltering walls of Vadera harbour, its captain charts an easterly course along the Tentarias — the chain of seas and landlocked lakes which separate the two continents of Magnamund. You and your companion, Lord Ardan, settle into the ship's easy routine and, with few on-board duties to perform, you endeavour to pass the long hours constructively. With the aid of a
map
which he gives to you, Ardan briefs you on the route you should travel if you are to reach Sommerlund as swiftly as possible. You spend your time discussing the details of the route and pondering the new Evil which now threatens your homeland and the Kai.
Every night, as you lie awake on your bunk staring at the tarred beams of your cabin, you wish away the miles that separate you from your beloved homeland. You want, most of all, to be with your young Kai acolytes in this dark hour, but fate has seen fit to place a great distance between you. Fearful of what you may find if you arrive home too late, every night you offer up prayers to the Gods Ishir and Kai to help speed your return to Sommerlund.
You are deeply suspicious of the youth, and by using the Brotherhood Spell
Sense Evil
, you soon confirm your fears. You detect that he is a murderous cut-throat and that his sinister building is home to Varetta's notorious Guild of Thieves. Forewarned of the danger, you wheel your horse about 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 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
.
It is early in the afternoon when you catch sight of a grand, half-timbered bridge in the far distance. It spans a river, swollen by the recent rains, which you recognize at once to be the River Reloni. There is a small circular tent near the approach to the bridge, and three Eldenoran soldiers are seated on stools beside it, each smoking a long-stemmed pipe.
At first you consider avoiding the bridge and finding somewhere else to make a crossing, but the river is wide and fast-flowing, and the three guards look particularly weak and stupid. After some deliberation, you decide to try to bluff your way past them.
As you approach, one of the guards gets up off his stool and moves to stand in your way. Casually, he asks to see some sort of identification.
If you possess a Silver Seal,
turn to 283
.
If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 317
.
You shout the order to fire and the Kai let loose their straining bowstrings. A cloud of arrows with armour-piercing tips, hardened in the fires of the monastery forge, whistles towards the swooping Lavas with impressive accuracy. All find their target, but only one of the winged creatures falls from the sky. You see that the beast has been struck in the eye. Hurriedly the acolytes reload as the Lavas prepare to land on the Tower of the Sun.
‘Fire at their eyes!’ you shout, and a cloud of Kai arrows is sent screaming through the sky to seek their elusive mark. This time more than half find their target, decimating the onrushing Lavas at a single stroke, yet those winged creatures who do survive this deadly volley are quickly among the defenders on the tower.
Before your face disappears completely below the surface of the Storn, you manage to utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Strength
. Immediately, you feel the fatigue melting away from your aching limbs, and a surge of renewed energy revitalizes your muscles.
With a mighty effort, you drag your feet from the burning mire and leap head-first into the whirling black abyss of the Shadow Gate.
The pack leader is ripped to shreds by the blast and many of his followers are left mortally wounded. But neither the sight of their injuries nor the deafening sound of the explosion deters the remaining pack members from approaching the bridge. With fear running ice cold in your veins, you spur your tired horse to the gallop in a desperate attempt to outrun these howling fiends.
You bow to the King's wishes and resolve, instead, to reach the Kai Monastery by land and destroy the Shadow Gate as soon as you are able. Strengthened by this resolution, you show to the council the Sun-crystal that Gwynian gave you, and you tell them how you intend to use it.
Ulnar and the barons applaud your plan and your steadfast courage. The King places under your command his élite Guard Cavalry regiment, so that you may be able to use them to break through the enemy's line at its weakest point and reach the Kai Monastery. Captain D'Val, commander of the Guard Cavalry, knows where this weak point is and he will guide you to it.
The King dissolves the council and, as the barons return to their armies in the field, he orders you to rest in his chambers for a few hours.
‘Get some sleep, Grand Master,’ he says, patting you paternally on the shoulder. ‘You will need it. You ride with the Guard at dawn.’
Quickly you intone the words of the Old Kingdom Spell
Hold Enemy
and direct its power at Prince Lutha. Instantly he is frozen into immobility. Your swift action has prevented him from activating the evil power of the ring he wears, a power which could spell your doom. But you sense that it is only a matter of time before your spell wears off and he is free to direct the power of the ring against you.
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 Prince recovers from the effects of your spell.
You are pulling yourself through the opening when Lutha begins to move. He attempts to kick you with his right foot but you twist away in time to avoid the vicious attack. You tug his left leg and put him off balance; this move buys you the few seconds you need to get to your feet. As you rise he comes at you with a dagger in his hand, forcing you back towards the open hole.
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
.
Quickly you make your descent across the rocks to where the Sun-crystal lies, but in your hurry, you slip and fall on the wet granite.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Nexus, add 2. If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, add 1. If your current
ENDURANCE
points total is 11 or less, deduct 1.
If your total score is now 2 or less,
turn to 258
.
If it is 3 or more,
turn to 134
.
It is near dusk when you emerge from the hills and see the glimmering waters of the River Kinam less than five miles distant. This great river marks the border between Talestria and Palmyrion, Queen Evaine's neighbouring ally. The road descends to a border toll bridge beyond which you can see the sprawling town of Scade. The troop is challenged by the bridge warden to halt and pay a fee of 100 Silver Lune. This fee is soon forgotten, though, when the Lord Constable shows the pedantic old man his Royal Seal. With a stiff salute he steps aside and bids you all a safe journey.
Scade is a bustling market town which has grown rich and fat in the years following the defeat of the Darklords. Its brightly painted buildings and paved thoroughfares exude affluence, and even its lowly street-beggars look clean and well-fed by comparison to those in other parts of Magnamund. Nathor leads the troop to an inn near the centre of the town, a fine establishment called ‘The Lucky Bucket’. Its owner, a corpulent fellow with a polished bald pate, welcomes him with open arms. After the ordeal at Pinepeaks and the long day's ride, you are looking forward to a hot bath and a large supper. However, it soon transpires that the inn is almost full and the owner can only provide rooms for five of the troop.
‘Not to worry,’ says Nathor, noticing the look of disappointment on your face. ‘I know Knight Tranius — the lord of this manor. Many's the time we've hunted boar in the hills. His castle is but two miles from here. Five can billet here tonight while the rest of us lodge with Tranius.’
You agree to Nathor's proposal and set off with him, accompanied by three of the troopers, along a river track which heads north to Castle Tranius.
Drawing on all your Kai camouflage and tracking skills, you manage to evade the war-dog pack and escape into the depths of the forest.
You place your hands on the young man's chest and, using your Magnakai Curing skills, you cause the puncture wound to mend (reduce your
ENDURANCE
score by 1 point). However, your treatment is not enough to save him. The poison in his blood is too strong and too well-established to be neutralized by your innate Kai powers. Sadly you watch as the brave young man slips into a sleep from which he will not awaken.
You hear the hiss of a crossbow bolt in flight, and instantly react by pulling your horse sharply to one side. It is a move that saves your life. The iron missile grazes your shoulder (lose 1
ENDURANCE
point) but it does not prevent you from making good your escape into the trees.
You keep to the woods and head south in a wide arc around the Eldenoran settlement at Fabri. During your ride through this lush timberland, 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 wish 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, 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
.