Fire on the Water (19 page)
You desperately wave your Kai cloak above your head until you are near to exhaustion.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
to see if your effort has been rewarded.
If the number you have picked is 0–6,
turn to 41
.
If the number is 7–9,
turn to 180
.
You recognize the creature to be a Noodnic, an intelligent but mischievous mountain-dwelling native of Durenor. The Noodnics inhabit a maze of smaller shafts and fissures that honeycomb the Hammerdal Mountains, and live off whatever they can steal from the merchant caravans that travel the Tarnalin. It occurs to you that if you can catch the Noodnic, you may be able to learn if the Helghast are hiding within the tunnel.
If you wish to follow the Noodnic,
turn to 23
.
If you would rather let it go and continue on your journey,
turn to 340
.
You sleep deeply without being disturbed before rising at dawn, gathering your equipment, and joining the others as they board the coach.
For two days and nights, the coach follows the trade route across the flat, treeless Wildlands. It stops only to allow the driver to sleep. But on the morning of the ninth day of your quest, there is an unfortunate accident.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 2
.
If the number is 5–9,
turn to 108
.
You beg the captain to pick up the unfortunate castaways but he ignores your pleas and orders the crew to continue with their duties. As the longboat disappears from view, you have a premonition that a similar fate awaits you. Shaken by the thought, you descend below decks and retire to your cabin.
Both soldiers stab at you with their spears and try to force you off the bridge. As you lash out at one, the other dodges past you and attacks you from behind.
You cannot evade and you must fight them both to the death.
Bridge Guard 1:
COMBAT SKILL
16
ENDURANCE
24
Bridge Guard 2:
COMBAT SKILL
16
ENDURANCE
22
If you win this combat,
turn to 187
.
You stare in awe at the variety of merchandise. Silk and spices from the opulent bazaars of Vassagonia; jewels from the mines of Bor; the finest weapons and armour from the smithies of Durenor; furs from the Brumalmarc of Kalte; cloth from Cloeasia; and all kinds of food and drink cover the tables.
Near the centre of the trading post you notice that the prices are displayed on large pieces of stretched vellum. One of the signs in particular catches your eye:
- Swords 4 Gold Crowns each
- Daggers 2 Gold Crowns each
- Broadswords 6 Gold Crowns each
- Spears 5 Gold Crowns each
- Fine Foods 2 Gold Crowns per Meal
- Gold Rings 8 Gold Crowns each
- Fur Blankets 3 Gold Crowns each
- Backpacks 1 Gold Crown each
If you have enough money, you may purchase any of the above items. When you have concluded your purchases, you may leave the trading post by a side exit.
Cautiously, the soldiers surround you and take your Weapons and Backpack. (You do not need to adjust your
Action Chart
.) The knight steps forward and raises the visor of his helm.
‘Who are you? What is your purpose in Tarnalin?’ he demands in a gruff voice.
Illustration XVII—The knight is Lord Axim of Ryme, commander of King Alin's personal bodyguard.
You tell him that you are a Kai Lord from Sommerlund on an urgent mission to King Alin. He seems unconvinced by your words until you show him the Seal of Hammerdal. Then, without hesitation, he orders his men to return your belongings and ushers you through the wall of wagons. Beyond, you can see a horse-drawn carriage waiting in the centre of the crowded tunnel.
‘Back to Hammerdal without delay,’ he orders the driver, and you are thrown back in your seat as the coach moves off at breakneck speed.
You soon learn that the knight is Lord Axim of Ryme, commander of King Alin's personal bodyguard. He was on his way to Port Bax when the Helghast entered Tarnalin. He and ten soldiers were the only ones to survive a deadly encounter with these evil creatures.
During your ride through the Tarnalin, you must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points. The journey to the capital will take five hours and you are advised by Lord Axim to get some rest. As you slowly drift off to sleep, you begin a dream about the Sommerswerd. You picture a triumphant return to Holmgard and the defeat of the Darklord siege. Perhaps it will be a good omen of events to come?
You feel the snake's fangs catch in the arm of your tunic, but that is all. You are lucky that the only damage done was to your clothing. As the serpent disappears into the long grass, you quickly climb the tree and spend the rest of the night safely above the ground.
You hit the water and swim submerged for over a minute to avoid the falling bodies and burning debris of the battle. When you are finally forced to the surface for air, you catch a glimpse of a sight that raises your hopes of fulfilling your quest.
You focus your concentration on the small, brass lock. After a few seconds, you hear a faint
click
that tells you that the inner latch is now unlocked. Inside is a scroll bearing the royal seal of Sommerlund and containing confidential orders about your mission to Durenor. As you put the box back into its hiding place, you notice that a deadly trap had been hidden in the lid. Your Kai Discipline has saved you from the swift death of a poison needle. Closing the drawers, you quickly check that nothing looks as though it has been disturbed before joining the captain on deck.
Without uttering a word, the knight points to the woods behind you and returns to the watchtower. He disappears inside and bolts the door.
The forest here is very thick and the undergrowth is a tangle of weeds and briars. It will be impossible to enter the wood on horseback. You realize you will have to abandon your mount and continue on foot.
You are welcomed by an old woman dressed from head to toe in white. She smiles and offers you a delicious cup of jala. Your experience of Ragadorn so far makes you suspicious of the dark liquid and you politely refuse her offer.
15
As you push the steaming mug away, she notices the Seal on your finger.
‘What a magnificent ring! Is it for sale?’ she asks, her eyes lighting up with excitement. You tell her firmly that it is not but she will not accept your refusal. She offers you any choice of the hundreds of potions that fill the glass cabinets behind her counter. As you turn to leave, she offers you 40 Gold Crowns.
If you wish to accept her offer,
turn to 165
.
If you wish to leave the shop,
turn to 186
.
[15] To preserve continuity, if you no longer possess the Seal of Hammerdal, you leave the shop immediately. Turn to
Section 186
.
The food smells delicious, but you notice that there are two or three drops of clear liquid on the side of the plate and another on the tray. At first you suspect that it is only water, until you touch the fluid and notice that it is sticky. You recognize it as sap from the gnadurn tree, a deadly poison used by assassins because of its lack of flavour or scent. The shock of your discovery soon turns to anger and you race out of the room, intent on discovering the identity of your enemy.
The forest here is extremely dense and the undergrowth is a tangle of bushy weeds. You ride for a mile in either direction and discover no track or path near the watchtower. If you are to reach Port Bax you must dismount and enter the forest on foot.
You have been walking in the rain for over three hours when you are confronted by seven horsemen. They are mercenaries employed by the Overlord of Ragadorn and they bear his emblem, a black ship on a red crest, upon their shields.
They demand that you hand over all your gold or they will kill you. When they discover that you have no gold, they chase you and eventually cut you down with their longswords. As you lie dying on the road, the last sight that you remember is the outline of Ragadorn on the distant horizon.
Your life and your quest come to a tragic end here.
This road eventually ends at a deserted forest cabin. Although it is furnished, a layer of fine dust covers everything inside and indicates that this place has not been used for several months. It is a dead end, and you have wasted precious time. You must return to the fork and take the left path without further delay.
As you wrap the injured man in a large blanket, he drifts off into a sleep from which he will never awake. Back on deck, the bodies of the dead crew have been laid together.
Captain Kelman approaches and hands you a vicious-looking blade. ‘This is no pirate sword, Lone Wolf. This weapon was forged in the furnaces of Helgedad. It is a Darklord blade.’
You cast the evil sword into the sea where it quickly sinks beneath the waves, and return to the
Green Sceptre
. As the crew make ready to set sail for the east, you watch with sorrow as the Durenese trader sinks beneath the waves.
A creature, much larger than the others and dressed in a magnificent robe of patchwork silk, screams an order in their strange language. All of the furry creatures arm themselves with spears and swords that look as if they have been crafted from broken wagon spokes and broom handles. With a strange battle-cry that sounds like ‘Gashgiss — Nashgiss’, they charge towards you. Your curiosity soon gives way to the realization that you must evade them or be trampled to death by the sheer weight of their numbers.
You turn and sprint along the narrow corridor until their angry cries begin to fade. You reach the entrance to where the passage connects with the main tunnel, and continue your journey from there.
The people flee the tavern as the town guard attack. There are six of them and you must fight them one at a time.
Town Guard Sergeant:
COMBAT SKILL
13
ENDURANCE
22
Town Guard Corporal:
COMBAT SKILL
12
ENDURANCE
20
Town Guard 1:
COMBAT SKILL
11
ENDURANCE
19
Town Guard 2:
COMBAT SKILL
11
ENDURANCE
19
Town Guard 3:
COMBAT SKILL
10
ENDURANCE
18
Town Guard 4:
COMBAT SKILL
10
ENDURANCE
17
You may evade at any time by running out of the back door and
turning to 88
.
If you kill all of the town guard in combat,
turn to 221
.
Halfway along this street on the left-hand side is a large stable and coach station. As it is now completely dark, you decide to enter. You spend the night safely hidden in the hay-loft of the stables.
You hear the footsteps behind you quicken, and you spin round just in time to see them draw their daggers to attack you. You must deduct 4 points from your
COMBAT SKILL
and fight them open-handed. They attack you one at a time.
Street Thief Leader:
COMBAT SKILL
15
ENDURANCE
23
Street Thief 1:
COMBAT SKILL
13
ENDURANCE
21
Street Thief 2:
COMBAT SKILL
13
ENDURANCE
20
You may evade the combat at any time by
turning to 121
.
If you win the combat and kill all three street thieves,
turn to 301
.