Fire on the Water (12 page)
It is early in the morning of the thirty-third day of your quest, when you ride into Port Bax with Lord Axim at your side.
The preparations for war have been completed. The galleons of the Durenese war fleet lie at anchor in the harbour, impatiently awaiting the order to set sail for Sommerlund. On board each ship are many brave soldiers from the mountain kingdom, a tough army of skilled warriors, eager to face the Darklords in battle. Each man has sworn to avenge their besieged allies, or die in the attempt.
You are to sail back to Holmgard aboard the flagship
Durenor
, a warship whose great curving prow and tall masts emphasize its sheer power and strength. You and Lord Axim are taken aboard and welcomed by Admiral Calfen, commander of the fleet, and then the fleet prepares to set sail.
In less than an hour, the harbour lies far behind you. The domes of Port Bax are now merely dots on the horizon.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–3,
turn to 216
.
If the number is 4–6,
turn to 49
.
If the number is 7–9,
turn to 193
.
You forget about the rogue with his cup and marble game and instead watch a card game in progress near the tavern stairs. You notice that one of the players is cheating.
If you wish to challenge the man,
turn to 241
.
If you would rather ignore what you have seen,
turn to 130
.
The crew's quarters are cramped and stifling. But despite a lack of space and a poor evening meal (so poor in fact that you lose 2
ENDURANCE
points!) the men are pleased that their invitation was accepted and you are treated as an honoured guest.
After supper, they invite you to play ‘Portholes’ with them, and wager a little gold on the fall of the dice.
If you wish to try your luck,
turn to 308
.
If you would prefer to decline the offer, bid them goodnight and return to your cabin by
turning to 197
.
After travelling a mile along the left track, you arrive at a long stone bridge. At first glance, the river that it crosses seems to be swollen and in danger of flooding the banks. Then you realize that this is the Rymerift. The waters of the Rymerift are two miles across at the widest point and over a mile deep for most of its length. Here, the land has slipped away and a natural gap has appeared separating Durenor from the rest of Magnamund.
There is a signpost at the entrance to the stone bridge.
You breathe a sigh of relief, for you are on the correct path and should be in the city within the hour.
The driver becomes very angry and shouts, ‘There's a long walk ahead of you, stranger,’ as he slams the door in your face. You cannot afford to buy a room for the night, so you decide to bed down with the horses in the stable next door.
The guard is furious and charges down the stairs at you, his sword raised above his head. If you do not have a weapon, remember to deduct 4 points from your
COMBAT SKILL
and fight the guard open-handed.
Watchtower Guard:
COMBAT SKILL
15
ENDURANCE
22
You may evade this combat at any time by
turning to 65
.
If you win the combat,
turn to 331
.
The priest does not seem to be surprised by your attack, and he draws a black sword from beneath his robes.
Priest:
COMBAT SKILL
16
ENDURANCE
23
If you win the combat,
turn to 220
.
You eventually come to a halt at the base of a huge fir tree. You try to stand, but the pain in your legs and side is so great that you collapse and lose consciousness. It is a sleep that will spare you the pain of the Helghast blades, but it is also a sleep from which there is no awakening.
Your quest and your life end here.
‘Forgive me, my lord, I did not mean to startle you.’ The man seems nervous, and the open hand that is extended towards you is shaking quite visibly.
With some caution you accept the gesture of friendship, and sit with the man at a tavern table. The place is deserted save for a couple of mice gnawing at a large chunk of cheese.
‘Captain Kelman has instructed me to take you to the
Green Sceptre
, but only if I am sure that you are the Kai Lord they call Lone Wolf. Can you prove your identity?’ You decide you must show your mastery of one of your Kai Disciplines.
If you wish to demonstrate your Kai Discipline of Healing,
turn to 16
.
If you wish to demonstrate your Kai Discipline of Mindblast,
turn to 133
.
If you are carrying a Weapon and wish to demonstrate your Kai Weaponskill,
turn to 255
.
If you wish to demonstrate your Kai Discipline of Animal Kinship,
turn to 203
.
If you wish to demonstrate your Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter,
turn to 48
.
If you do not possess any of the above Kai skills, or if you do not wish to demonstrate your skill,
turn to 348
.
The shop appears to be empty. You wait and look at the merchandise for nearly five minutes, but still no one appears. You are about to leave when you notice a map hanging inside the door. It is a plan of the Port of Ragadorn. The Ragadorn stables and coach station is clearly marked near the east gate of the city. This is where land transport can be found to take you to Port Bax. You memorize the map route to the east gate and leave the shop. You run back to Axe Lane and turn east into Sage Street. At the end of this winding lane you arrive at the Ragadorn Bridge, the only connection between the east and west sides of the city. You push your way across the crowded bridge and run along the cobblestones of East Trade Lane.
He bellows his battle-cry and lunges at your head.
Knight of the White Mountain:
COMBAT SKILL
20
ENDURANCE
27
You may evade combat at any time by running into the trees and
turning to 244
.
If you win the combat,
turn to 302
.
‘We've a full sail and a sharp prow. There's not a warship on the northern seas that'll catch the
Green Sceptre
,’ says the captain.
He is proved right, for the pirate ship soon disappears over the horizon. ‘Twenty-five years at sea and I've never known the Lakuri pirates to venture this far north to raid,’ he says, stroking his beard thoughtfully. ‘They must be after a valuable cargo to sail so far from their tropical islands.’
As the captain descends below deck to his cabin, you get an uneasy feeling that the valuable cargo may be you.
You have walked for nearly a mile along this deserted tunnel when you see a flight of steps cut into the rock-face to your left. They lead to a platform which runs the length of the tunnel ceiling. It is used to service the torches.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense,
turn to 172
.
If you wish to climb the steps and investigate the platform,
turn to 52
.
If you wish to ignore the steps and continue on your journey,
turn to 256
.
Placing the gold in your pouch, you remove the Seal and hand it to her. She snatches it and examines it closely. As you leave the shop, you hear her sniggering quietly to herself, and you wonder if you have done the right thing.
You make your way up a flight of stairs and onto the crowded deck. Fierce battle rages all around you as the Durenese fleet is engulfed by the rush of ghostly death-hulks. Suddenly a flash of searing flame shoots from a tower at the rear of the death-hulk you are on, and explodes into the side of a Durenese warship less than fifty yards away. You watch with horror as soldiers leap from the deck, their clothes and hair in flames.
Illustration X—Soldiers leap from the deck, their clothes and hair in flames.
If you wish to investigate the tower,
turn to 328
.
If you wish to escape from this ship, jump overboard by
turning to 267
.
‘You play a daring strategy, Lone Wolf. But I think I have you now.’
Captain Kelman moves his ornate keystone across to your side of the board with a triumphant smile. But it soon fades to a look of shock as you unexpectedly counter his move. ‘Stalemate,’ you reply coolly. The captain stares at the board in disbelief.
‘The skills of the Kai never cease to amaze me,’ he says, slowly scratching his head. He is still staring at the Samor board when you finally bid him goodnight and return to your cabin.
Slowly, one by one, the other travellers appear and stare in shock at the dead coachman. ‘We must bury him,’ says the priest.
You silently nod your agreement and prepare a grave in which to lay the corpse. As you all walk back to the coach, you discuss what should be done.
‘I know the road to Port Bax. I had better drive the coach,’ volunteers Halvorc.
‘I do hope we're not blamed for his death,’ says the priest nervously.
‘It was an act of the gods,’ says Dorier.
‘I shall testify to that,’ says Ganon. ‘Lies are never spoken by Knights of the White Mountain.’
It is true that in Durenor, a true knight will speak only the truth whether for his own good or ill. His words seem to reassure the priest and you are all soon once more on the road heading towards the eastern horizon. It is late in the afternoon when you arrive at a coach station in a small coastal village known as Gorn Cove, which is mainly populated by outcasts, thieves, and Szalls.
The death of the coachman is met by the villagers with great suspicion, but Dorier's words convince them that it was accidental.
There is only one inn at the village, a tavern known as the Forlorn Hope. Its state of disrepair is typical of all the other hovels in this poor sea village. A room for the night costs 1 Gold Crown.
If you can pay for the room,
turn to 314
.
If you cannot,
turn to 25
.
You leave the gaming-house and walk dejectedly back towards the coach station. In the distance you can see the east gate of the city. Waiting below it is the coach to Durenor. You must get to Port Bax — the future of Sommerlund depends on it. You slip past the guard and board the coach without him seeing you enter. As the departure time gets nearer, five other passengers climb into the coach and seat themselves around you. The guard slams the door and you begin your journey to Port Bax.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–3,
turn to 39
.
If the number is 4–6,
turn to 249
.
If the number is 7–9,
turn to 339
.
The guard looks at your white card and sneers, ‘This is a merchant's pass. It's of no use to you here. You must have a red pass to gain access to the naval quadrant.’ He flicks the card back at you and returns to his post at the gate.
