Mydnight's Hero (24 page)
The troopers tie your hands with cord before they take you and Karvas to Cavalia under close escort. As you ride through the city's grand west gate, the guards on duty here come stiffly to attention. The Gate Sergeant salutes the Knight Bachelor with great exaggeration, and some of the older guards bow and doff their helmets as he passes, but their actions are not born of a respect for him or rank. You sense that they despise the haughty knight, and this is their way of mocking his insufferable arrogance.
Beyond the gate, you enter a wide avenue flanked by a well-ordered collection of houses and richly-appointed public buildings. Cavalia is a wealthy city, yet many of the citizens that you glimpse in passing have a strained and uneasy look about them. At length you arrive at a fortified citadel — a huge, square, moated edifice built on four levels around a central courtyard. Its upper floors contain the Baron's luxurious personal chambers, as well as other apartments used by those who have his favour. The middle level is occupied by provincial officials and the ground floor by the Citadel Guard. There is also an underground level, which is used for the imprisonment and torture of Sadanzo's enemies. Vaingloriously the Knight Bachelor leads his horsemen across the citadel drawbridge and through a torchlit tunnel that gives access to the central courtyard. Here, you and Prince Karvas are pulled from your saddles by Citadel Guardsmen and dragged away to the dungeons where you are thrown into a dark, windowless cell.
If you possess Grand Weaponmastery and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Sentinel,
turn to 306
.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 113
.
You draw your Kai Weapon and touch the surface of the emblem with its gleaming blade. Instantly the concealed panel slides away to reveal a recess which contains a dagger crudely carved from a strange, scarlet-veined stone. Its rough-hewn blade is stained with dried blood and your stomach churns when your Sixth Sense detects that it has been used for human sacrifices.
(If you wish to keep this Stone Dagger, record it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item.)
To continue,
turn to 329
.
As the last of the huntsmen falls from the saddle, run through by Karvas' sword, you hear the rumbling sound of hoofbeats approaching from the north. The remainder of the Inquisitor-major's hunting party is galloping towards you, drawn by the sounds of combat and the dying screams of their confederates. You warn the Prince and he sheathes his sword and follows as you gallop away along the road, heading east towards the city of Varedo.
You spend the evening aboard the
Starstrider
in the company of your two companions. In the comfort of Acraban's quarters, you study charts and maps of the Isle of Sheasu in preparation for tomorrow's voyage. The northern coastline stretches for more than 200 miles and it is indented with hundreds of bays and tiny inlets. Searching this territory for Prince Karvas' home will be a difficult task, yet, thanks to the
Starstrider
, not an impossible one.
Lord Zinair gives Acraban a small seeing-stone, one of a pair that he possesses. It will enable him to stay in contact with the elder magician and inform him when the Prince has been found. Lord Zinair has decided it is best that he go back to Suhn aboard
The Azaktana
. He has fulfilled his promise to Lone Wolf that he would escort you swiftly and safely here to Mydnight, and the time has now come for him to return to his ambassadorial duties. Before he leaves for his ship moored in the harbour, he wishes you both a swift, sure, and successful voyage.
‘I look forward to the day we shall meet again, my lords,’ he says. ‘Though I shall not be with you in body, my spirit will travel with you all the way to Seroa. Good luck and godspeed.’
You rise before daybreak and as the first rays of the morning sun creep over the horizon, you hear Acraban giving the order to commence the voyage north. From the forward deck rail you watch in fascination as the hovels and harbour of Mydnight slide gently away beneath the keel. The hum of the skyship's engine increases in pitch as it steadily gains speed and altitude, until soon all you can see are the hills and valleys of Sheasu whirling past far below.
The flight to the north coast takes a day to complete. Upon arriving in this remote region you soon realize that the shoreline will prove more challenging to explore than had been expected. Much of the coast is forested, and there are countless miles of undercut cliffs and steep ravines that could keep entire villages hidden from the air. For two days the
Starstrider
follows the coastline with all hands on lookout duty, yet no human habitation is sighted. It is not until the afternoon of the fourth day of your voyage that your luck changes for the better. An eagle-eyed crewman on the forward deck spots a tiny clearing on a wooded peak overlooking a crescent-shaped bay. You magnify your vision and see, in the centre of this clearing, a single-storey house with a split log roof, surrounded by animal pens and shelters. You feel sure that you have found the Prince's retreat and you ask Acraban to bring the skyship down within a mile of the settlement so as to avoid the risk of frightening him away. He complies, and within a matter of minutes the
Starstrider
is hovering above the tree-line less than a mile from the clearing. Acraban hands over command of the skyship to Gora, his bo'sun, and then you and he are lowered to the ground in the boarding cage.
After landing, you quickly discover a narrow trail that wends its way through this thickly-wooded headland. You volunteer to take the lead and you follow this track as it meanders towards the clearing. Wind whistles through the surrounding pines but the timberland itself is strangely silent; you can hear no sound from the beasts and birds that dwell herein.
If you possess Grand Pathsmanship,
turn to 214
.
If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 315
.
You take a scroll, one of many that are crammed between the books that line the surrounding shelves, and you place it in the empty safe. Then you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Lightning Hand
and point your right index finger at the scroll. An arc of crackling fire jumps from your hand and ignites the yellowed parchment, causing it to burn fiercely. You wait for a few moments until all that remains of the scroll is a layer of flaky ash, and then you slam shut the door and spin its dial. Now, should Sadanzo open his safe, he will find that his contract with the Assassins' Guild has mysteriously combusted.
Your work done, you turn away from the safe and motion Karvas to follow as you hurry to leave this evil library. But, as you are approaching the arch which leads to the adjoining chamber, you suddenly hear a noise which makes you both stop dead in your tracks.
You spur your horse to the gallop and steer him towards the palisade. The guards see you bearing down and one of them panics and flees. Yet the other man bravely stands his ground and he gets ready to stab at you with his spear as you race towards the open gate.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 281
.
If it is 5–9,
turn to 99
.
The courtyard is bounded on three sides by paddocks, tack rooms, and an equestrian training park. There are only two guards on duty here inside the compound, the others having been called upon to assist the patrols that are out searching the city. They are both asleep at their posts and you have no difficulty tiptoeing past them and entering the paddocks where the horses are stabled.
You search the stalls and soon discover two black Bhanarian stallions of magnificent quality and breeding. They will make ideal mounts for you and Prince Karvas. These intelligent animals respond readily to your Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control and they remain calm and composed as you hurriedly fix their saddles and bridles. As you are leading them out into the courtyard, you stop to unbuckle a sword belt from the belly of a sleeping guard. Prince Karvas is unarmed and you are sure he will appreciate this weapon more than its present owner.
You lead the horses across the courtyard and as you approach the stables' main doors, you mount one of them and fix the reins of the other to your stirrup. Then you kick open one of the double doors and urge your horse forward at the gallop.
The guards outside are taken completely by surprise. As they fumble to unsheathe their swords, you race across the square and wave to Karvas who is waiting patiently for your signal. The Prince leaps up from behind the cart and comes running towards the spare horse. He is getting ready to leap for its saddle when a gruff cry alerts you to danger. A patrol has entered the square and their officer is commanding his sergeant to fire at you with his bow.
If you possess Kai-surge,
turn to 172
.
If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 313
.
You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Net
and level your right hand at the onrushing lancer. Waves of energy ripple down your arm and then a mass of sticky fibres gushes from your open palm. The lancer's eyes are wide with terror as the sticky strands engulf his head and shoulders. With a muffled scream, he drops his lance and tumbles backwards out of the saddle to crash down heavily upon the cobblestoned passageway.
You fix the trader with a piercing stare and quietly breathe the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Mind Charm
. As the spell takes hold, you command him mentally to signal to his men that all is well between you. Your magical charm instils a sense of calm well-being into the man and he begins to relax and smile. He complies with your command and the two Mythenians turn away. When you are sure that they are out of earshot, you ask the trader if he knows the whereabouts of Prince Karvas of Siyen. He tells you that the Prince does not reside in the city. There is a rumour that he lives somewhere on the remote northern coast of Sheasu. He also tells you that Karvas is not alone. Shortly after he came here, almost a decade ago, he was joined by a young woman. They were married by a sea captain in Mydnight harbour, on board the deck of his trading ship, and ever since their wedding day they have rarely been seen again.
You thank the trader for his help and leave the warehouse before the effects of the spell wear off. On returning to the quayside you set out to explore the tangle of alleyways that make up the city's eastern quarter in the hope of discovering more about the Prince and his wife. Unfortunately, your efforts garner no new information. As the sun begins to settle on the horizon, you abandon your search and hurry back through the darkening passageways towards the market square.
You pay the farmer (erase the appropriate sum from your
Action Chart
) and he ferries you and your horse across the river. Then he goes back to collect Karvas and his mount. Once the Prince is safely across, you bid the cheerful farmer farewell and ride away from the river, heading east. You notice that Prince Karvas is smiling as he rides across this lush river valley and you ask him why this is so. He explains that the Ioma is the political boundary between the realms of Lunarlia and Siyen, and that you are now on Siyenese soil. After ten years in exile he has, at last, returned to his homeland.
Dusk is turning to darkness when you come to a road that crosses the valley to the east of Voshno. Your horses are tired and so you decide to camp for the night in a small wood that borders this road. Before you rest, you must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points (unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery).
To continue,
turn to 125
.
As you ride through the fields that border upon the packed highway, you receive a chorus of catcalls from the queue that alerts the gate guards to your approach. You rein in your horses at the South Gate and Karvas demands that you be allowed in at once. An angry guard demands to know why you should not wait in line like everyone else, and Karvas says: ‘We are court riders from Oberra. We carry an important message for Marshal Phedros. Let us in at once.’
You pray that the guard will believe the Prince's bluff and let you enter, but you can tell by the man's grim expression that he is not impressed. The Prince sounds convincing, but his Sommlending clothes do not lend credence to his story. The man beckons to a group of his fellow guardsmen who are standing at an archway in the gatehouse wall. ‘You'll have to see the captain first,’ he says, brusquely.
You dismount and the guardsmen escort you and Karvas into the gatehouse, to an empty chamber where they tell you to wait for the guard captain. After several minutes he arrives and you notice that he is cradling a crystal sphere in his gloved left hand. ‘So you're messengers from Oberra with an important message for the Marshal, are you?’ he says, and he holds up the crystal as he awaits your reply. ‘Yes,’ says Karvas, impatiently. The clear crystal sphere becomes milky white, and then its hue changes to crimson.
‘You're lying,’ he says impassively, and he withdraws a slim glassy rod from his sword belt and points it at your face. Suddenly a blinding white light flashes before your eyes and you feel yourself rapidly slipping into unconsciousness.
The rock gashes your neck (lose 3
ENDURANCE
points) and you nearly fall from the saddle, but you manage to keep hold of the reins and pull yourself upright.
The speed and surefootedness of your Bhanarian stallions carry you and Karvas swiftly out of harm's way. You soon reach the rubble-strewn gate of the fortress and dismount to lead your horses inside. Within its crumbling walls there stands a keep, a cylindrical structure of time-worn masonry. The upper parts have collapsed leaving huge chunks of broken stone heaped around its base. Where once stood a gate of gleaming bronze, now only a blackened hole remains. It provides access to an inner hall and you enter to take shelter from the torrential rain.
Engravings in the ceiling and walls of this derelict hall tell you that this fortress was once occupied by the Elder Magi. Both you and Karvas are fascinated by the intricate carvings and you decide to split up and explore this hall further. In an alcove at its north side you discover a shrine dedicated to the God Kai. Clumps of wild laumspur are growing around its base and you discover enough here for 3 potions. (Each Potion of Laumspur is a Backpack Item. It will restore 4
ENDURANCE
points when swallowed after combat.)
You are examining the shrine more closely when suddenly you hear Karvas scream out in alarm.
