Fire on the Water (4 page)
You pocket the ticket (mark this as a Special Item on your
Action Chart
) and the man takes you to a coach that is waiting near the east gate of the seaport. It is empty and you take a seat near one of its circular windows. You are relieved to find that the seat is quite comfortable, for the journey to Port Bax will take seven days.
Stowing your equipment beneath the seat, you settle back in comfort and doze off.
When you awake, there are five other passengers and the journey to Durenor has already begun.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–3,
turn to 51
.
If the number you have picked is 4–6,
turn to 195
.
If the number you have picked is 7–9,
turn to 339
.
Covering yourself with your Kai cloak, you hide inside a large wooden barrel. But it is to no avail, for in less than a minute the trapdoor is thrown open and four angry villagers drop to the stone floor, torches and swords held high in their hands. As you are dragged kicking from the cellar, the screams of the crowd drown your pleas for mercy.
Your life and your quest end here.
Captain Kelman unlocks a display case and removes a Samor board. The beautifully carved playing pieces are already in position when he carefully sets it down upon the table.
After somewhat reluctantly agreeing to a wager of 10 Gold Crowns, you begin the game.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, you may add 2 to this number.
If your total score is now 0–3,
turn to 58
.
If your total score is now 4–6,
turn to 167
.
If your total score is now 7–11,
turn to 329
.
Your Kai sense reveals that the left path is the quickest route to Port Bax. You adjust the load of your equipment on your back and set off once more.
As the contest begins, you use your Kai Discipline to weaken your opponent's concentration. Beads of sweat stand out on his forehead and his eyes gradually close as he withers under your relentless Mindblast. In less than a minute he has collapsed to the floor completely unconscious.
His look of suspicion changes to one of surprise. ‘I believed you to be a trickster, Kai Lord. I must confess that I had planned to teach you a lesson you would not have forgotten in a lifetime. Please forgive my doubts but your story sounded so grave that I refused to believe it for fear it be true. I am sworn to the defence of the border and I cannot leave this tower, but I offer you any of my possessions if they may aid you on your quest.’
He places the following items on a large oak table and invites you to take your choice:
- Broadsword
- Mace
- Quarterstaff
- Healing Potion (restores 3
ENDURANCE
points) - Enough Food for 3 Meals
- Backpack
- 12 Gold Crowns
As you are about to leave the tower, he points out the direction you should take.
‘When you reach the Rymerift, take the track northwards. You will come to a bridge guarded by the King's men. When they ask for the password, answer them with the word “sunset”. The road beyond the Rymerift leads to Port Bax. Godspeed, Lone Wolf.’
You thank the brave warrior and leave. You must abandon your horse at the watchtower, for it would be impossible to pass through the dense trees on horseback.
You pick up an ale glass and smash it across the edge of the table. The jagged glass is razor-sharp. As you draw it across the back of your left hand, a long cut appears trickling blood. Covering this wound with your right hand, you concentrate and feel the warmth of your power as the wound heals. When you remove your right hand, no trace of the cut or any scar remains. The sailor stares at you in amazement.
You have pulled yourself halfway through the deck when the door to the hold below bursts open. A Helghast runs shrieking towards you. You cannot escape in time and it badly wounds you in the legs with its black sword. You lose 5
ENDURANCE
points and drop to the hold. You must fight this creature to the death.
Helghast:
COMBAT SKILL
22
ENDURANCE
30
It is an undead creature, so remember to double all
ENDURANCE
points that it loses in this combat as a result of the power of the Sommerswerd. This creature is immune to Mindblast.
If you kill the Helghast, you may leave the hold by the open door.
Turn to 166
.
The street ahead is completely blocked by wagons which are being unloaded onto a merchant ship. You follow the street as it turns east into Oxyoke Way. To your left is another entrance to the Ragadorn Trading Post. Beyond that you notice a smaller shop with a sign above the door.
If you wish to enter the trading post,
turn to 173
.
If you would rather investigate the weaponsmithy,
turn to 266
.
If you wish to continue walking east,
turn to 310
.
Less than twenty yards away, a small search party is marching along the wet cobblestones. You run towards the darkened doorway of a small shop and quickly enter to avoid the mob. With your heart pounding in your chest, you pray that you have not been spotted.
You follow this rat-infested street as it drops steeply to the wharves and jetties of the River Dorn. From the edge of the waterfront, you see the Ragadorn Bridge. It is the only crossing between the east and west sides of this sleazy port. Pushing your way through the crowds of people on the bridge, you enter a rubbish-strewn thoroughfare known as East Trade Lane.
The trickster lies dead at your feet. Rolling him over with your foot, you remove several cards from the sleeves of his jacket and throw them on the table. The crowd soon disperses and the tavern is a bustle of noise and activity once more. The other card players retrieve their gold from the table and leave the remainder for you.
To find out how much has been left on the table, pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. (In this instance, 0 = 10 instead of zero.) Now multiply this number by 3. The total is the number of Gold Crowns that are on the table. You may also take the Card Sharp's Dagger if you wish. Remember to mark all the items on your
Action Chart
.
As the body is being dragged outside, you walk to the bar and call for the innkeeper. You press a Gold Crown into his hand and ask for a room for the night.
In the morning you are awoken by the cry of the deck watchman: ‘Wreckage off the starboard bow!’
Quickly dressing, you climb up on deck and join the captain at the rail.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 119
.
If the number is 5–9,
turn to 341
.
You chase the furry creature as it hurries along a narrow, twisting passage for nearly ten minutes and are about to give up the chase when the passage opens out into a huge torchlit cavern. A stunning sight greets your eyes. The cavern houses an entire colony of these strange creatures, all busy sorting through and examining a vast pile of strange objects littering the centre of the hall.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Animal Kinship,
turn to 144
.
If you do not have this skill,
turn to 295
.
It is the crypt of Killean the Overlord. He had been ruler of Ragadorn, but he and many others in Ragadorn died during an outbreak of Red Death plague three years ago.
You suddenly recall a journeyman of your monastery called Swift Fox. He told you tales of his many travels to Ragadorn. The Red Death killed over half the population here. It also killed Swift Fox.
If you wish to return to the tavern,
turn to 177
.
If you wish to head west along Tomb Street,
turn to 253
.
If you wish to head east along Watchtower Street,
turn to 319
.
Casting your eye around the crowded tavern, you notice that many of the local villagers are playing various gambling games. Near to the main door, a young rogue has three upturned wooden cups on the table in front of him. He spins them around and challenges anyone to point out the cup that contains a small glass marble. If they guess correctly, he will pay them double the money they have gambled.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense or Mind Over Matter,
turn to 116
.
If you do not have either of these skills,
turn to 153
.
You are staring into the hollow eye sockets of a walking corpse. Twisted and disfigured though he is, you recognize Captain Kelman. You are in fact standing upon the deck of the
Green Sceptre
which sank during the storm twenty-eight days ago, and which has been raised from its murky grave this very morning to join the death-hulk fleet.
Illustration II—Twisted and disfigured though he is, you recognize Captain Kelman.
The dead captain extends a broken hand towards you and a ghastly voice begs you to lay down the Sommerswerd: ‘Put down your sword and my soul will be spared this torment.’
If you wish to place the Sommerswerd upon the deck,
turn to 248
.
If you wish to attack the zombie captain,
turn to 66
.
You walk for over three hours along the lonely coast road before night begins to fall. You are very tired and you decide to get some sleep and continue at dawn. You remember the tales told by your Kai masters of the Wildlands between Sommerlund and Durenor, where packs of wild dogs roam the wastelands at night.
With these stories in mind, you decide to spend the night in the safety of a large leafy tree at the edge of the road.
Your rest is very refreshing. Restore 2
ENDURANCE
points (if any have been lost on your adventure so far) and
turn to 312
.
The cowardly Szalls squeal in terror and run in all directions to avoid your blows. They have soon fled from the clearing and you turn to help the dying man. He is barely alive and far too weak to talk.
If you wish carefully to remove the spear from his chest,
turn to 106
.
If you would rather search his pack for useful items,
turn to 320
.
