EDGE: I, Hero Quests: Demon Sea

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This book is not like others you may have read. You are the hero of this adventure. It is up to you to make decisions that will affect how the adventure unfolds.

Each section of this book is numbered. At the end of most sections, you will have to make a choice. The choice you make will take you to a different section of the book.

Some of your choices will help you to complete the adventure successfully. But choose carefully, some of your decisions could be fatal!

If you fail, then start the adventure again and learn from your mistake.

If you choose correctly you will succeed in your mission.

Don’t be a zero, be a hero!

You are a skilled warrior, living in a world of enchantment and danger. Humans live alongside trolls, elves and dwarves, while other mysterious creatures walk in the shadows.

The Queen of Alba has asked for your help against her deadliest foes — the Red Queen and her husband, Mortha, the necromancer.

Many years ago, Solmor, the world's greatest Spellcaster, created a crown of gold set with four great rubies. The Ruby of Power gave its owner fighting skills. The Ruby of Seeing, the gift of telepathy and reading minds. The Ruby of Magic, powers of enchantment. The Ruby of Death, mastery over the world of the dead.

But rulers across the world wanted the power of the Crown of Rubies for themselves. It became a force for evil and was renamed the Blood Crown.

Just before his death, Solmor destroyed the crown and had the rubies hidden across the globe, so no one could find them.

But the Red Queen and her necromancer husband are hunting for them. They already possess the Ruby of Death. If they succeed in finding the others, your world will be plunged into a new dark age.

By your daring, you have recovered the Ruby of Power and the Ruby of Seeing. Your companion, Olderon, was not so lucky. He was killed by servants of the Red Queen.

You are now searching for the Ruby of Magic. To recover it, you must travel to the Sea of Oblivion and find the Old Man of the Sea, who is the guardian of the ruby.

 

Go to 1.

You have spent many hours flying on your gryphon, Hergal, but now you are approaching the port of Yushan. Beyond the port lies the vast Sea of Oblivion, home to many strange creatures and the haunt of deadly pirates.

You have used the Ruby of Seeing to make your way here, but when you try to ask it where to find the Old Man of the Sea, it shows only mist and shadows. It is getting dark and you have to decide whether you will continue flying, or land in the port. There you might find someone who knows of his whereabouts, or you might run into the Red Queen’s servants.

If you wish to continue flying,
go to 18
.

If you wish to land,
go to 36.

You tell your story to the Old Man of the Sea.

He nods. “So you want me to simply give you the Ruby of Magic?”

“It is not for me. My quest is to stop the Red Queen, and to save the world…”

“Your world, not mine,” replies the Old Man.

“If the Red Queen finds the rubies, she will be ruler of land, sky and sea.”

The Old Man of the Sea considers your words. “Very well.” He gestures to Narwul, who goes to a great wooden chest next to the throne. He opens it. It is full of treasure, and lying among the jewels and coins is the Ruby of Magic. The Old Man of the Sea takes it out. “But are you worthy of such power?” he asks. “You have already lost the other two rubies to me. Can you be trusted with this quest?”

If you wish to persuade the Old Man to give you the ruby,
go to 11.

If you decide to try to take it by force,
go to 28.

You leave the inn and head down towards the harbour.

A heavy sea mist hangs in the air. You hear the sounds of creaking ropes and shouts as sailors load up the ships with cargo. As you wander through the harbour, a man steps out from behind a stack of crates. He holds a flaming torch. “Can I help you?” he asks.

“I seek passage on a ship,” you reply.

“Oh, we can provide that, can’t we lads?”

From out of the mist, a dozen armed men appear. Before you can react, you are clubbed to the ground and pass out.

Go to 12.

You hold up your hands. “I meant no…”

But before you can finish your sentence there is a flash of steel and you drop to the ground. The man has run you through! You clutch at your stomach as the man snatches the leather pouch holding the two rubies from around your neck.

Without the Ruby of Power, you are unable to defend yourself as the jeering crowd surrounds you. As your energy seeps away, fists hammer down on you. There is nothing you can do against so many people.

Your quest has failed — the Red Queen is victorious! Put a stop to her plans next time.
Get back to 1.

You open your eyes and for a moment think you must be dead! You are lying on a bed in a room, which has a huge glass wall looking out onto the depths of the sea. You realise that you are in some sort of glass building on the sea floor. You get out of the bed and stand at the window and watch fish and mer-people swimming.

At that moment, the door opens and a creature steps inside.

You are amazed at his appearance. He is over three metres tall and has a pair of sharp tusks growing out of his cheeks. A silver fin runs down the length of his back. He is armed with a trident and has your leather pouch containing the two rubies tied to his belt.

“My name is Narwul. You will come with me,” he growls. “My master wishes to meet you.”

If you wish to do as he says,
go to 26.

If you wish to try to get the rubies back,
go to 32.

In the blink of an eye, you draw your sword. You kick a ghoul dwarf out of your path, and confront the ghoul captain. He sneers at you, just before you run him through with your blade.

The other ghouls stop where they are. Something is wrong. The ghoul captain is still standing in front of you, and now he’s smiling. The sound of the undead crew laughing fills the air.

“You’ll have to do a lot better than that!” he rasps. The captain pulls your sword out of his chest and offers it to you.

“Do you want another try?”

You take back your sword.

“All right you scurvy-ridden lot. Shut up!” he shouts at the cackling crew. They fall silent.

“That’s enough playing around,” the ghoul captain says. “Give me the rubies.”

If you want to do as the ghoul captain says,
go to 39.

If you wish to continue to fight,
go to 17.

You spin Hergal around, but the gryphon cannot outfly the zombie birds. They engulf you and rip at your flesh.

Hergal roars out in pain as the birds continue their attack. You slash at your enemies with your sword, but it is hopeless, there are too many of them! Their rotting bodies swarm all over you. Mercifully you pass into blackness.

You’ve become bird feed! To begin your quest again,
go back to 1.

You use the Ruby of Power to help you slowly break free of the Old Man of the Sea’s grip. But before you can escape with the rubies, the dome above you breaks open and the sea thunders in. The cold water engulfs you and the Old Man of the Sea.

The rubies are ripped from your hand by the force of the torrent, and you soon realise that you are doomed.

Water pours into your mouth and fills your lungs. The Sea of Oblivion has claimed another victim.

You have failed at the last hurdle! Don’t let the Red Queen win.
Get back to 1.

Carefully, you creep off the ship. Luckily the pirates are too busy getting ready to set sail to notice you leaving. You head back to the square.

Calling on the power of the Ruby of Seeing, you see Hergal lying outside the port, sleeping. You give a whistle and the gryphon wakes. Minutes later she lands in the square and you are soon flying on Hergal’s back, heading across the moonlit sea.

As the sun rises higher in the east, you hear a great roaring noise ahead of you. The wind gains strength and buffets you, and Hergal struggles to stay on course. Sea spray whips across your face and you are forced to shield your eyes as you attempt to see where the wind is coming from. You know that something is not right!

Go to 44.

You head through the dark streets of Yushan, following the directions to the inn. There is hardly a soul around, and a grey mist is drifting in from the sea. You turn a corner and see a beggar sheltering in a doorway. As you approach he holds out his hand, “Spare a coin for a poor man?”

The man clearly needs help, so you reach into your purse. The Ruby of Seeing causes an image to flash into your mind, showing the beggar for what he really is — a were-rat! You ready yourself for a fight.

The beggar transforms into its true form of a giant rat and leaps at you. It has long, black claws and gnarly pointed teeth. You know that were-beasts can only be defeated by removing their head.

If you want to attack it with your sword,
go to 25.

If you want to shoot using your bow and arrows,
go to 29.

“I have managed to find two rubies and defeated many of the Red Queen’s followers,” you say.

“Hmmm,” murmurs the Old Man. “But I now have all three rubies.” A greedy, calculating look flashes across the Old Man’s face. You wonder if the Old Man of the Sea wishes to take the rubies for himself.

He continues. “In order to prove yourself worthy of the Rubies, I will set you a trial. That way I will know that you are the person to challenge the Red Queen.”