Voyage of the Moonstone (18 page)

You take aim at the warrior's head and release your bowstring, sending your Arrow arcing across the water towards its target.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Weaponmastery with Bow, remember to add 3 to the number you have picked.

If your total score is now 7 or lower,
turn to 348
.

If it is 8 or higher,
turn to 59
.

You call out a friendly greeting to the nearest villager and you see his face blanch. He throws up his hands in alarm and runs headlong into the nearest undergrowth. This begins a chain-reaction among the other villagers who shriek with panic and flee in all directions. Within a matter of minutes this village has been transformed into a ghost town.

Bemused and a little unnerved by their inexplicable reaction, you pass through this cluster of empty bamboo huts and continue on along the road towards Hikas.

Turn to 273
.

At the entrance to the village stands a ramshackle inn constructed from sandstone, driftwood, and canvas. A creaking sign above its door says: ‘The Serene Funtal’. Sligh laughs when he reads this — ‘Ha, I'd wager this weren't named after that mangy cur who rules Bir Rabalou now, that's for sure.’

A lean-to built from old ship's timbers provides shelter for the horses. Two fresh-faced young boys take charge and you can tell by the skilful way they handle them that your steeds are in good hands. The inn itself, despite its dilapidation, has a warm and friendly feel. The owner seems genuinely pleased to see you and he is helpful almost to a fault. Food and lodging for the night is 12 Gold Crowns. The marines are able to scrape together six Crowns, leaving it to you to come up with the remaining six.

If you possess 6 Gold Crowns and wish to pay the balance of the bill,
turn to 95
.

If you do not possess sufficient Gold Crowns, or if you do not wish to pay the balance,
turn to 58
.

Sweat trickles down your face and into your eyes as slowly you raise your left hand and hold it just above your left thigh. Then you sweep it across the top of your leg with the speed of a striking cobra.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–5,
turn to 231
.

If it is 6–9,
turn to 80
.

Oriah accompanies you as you make your way quickly towards the stone steps. The marines stay on the surface and observe the riders while the two of you investigate where these mysterious steps lead. Together you descend fifty feet into the ground and arrive at a chamber that is littered with skulls and human bones. There is a carved archway near the bottom of the steps but it is sealed by a slab of grey marble. As you inch your way towards it, you try to decipher some of the engravings which embellish its surface. They are in an ancient script, yet you are able to determine their meaning: they are clues to the number which must be spoken aloud if you wish for the portal to open.

To discover the number which will make this portal open, you must first determine the distance (in miles) of your journey from Holmgard to Elzian. Having found this number you must then divide it by the number of Grand Master Disciplines which exist.

If you are able to calculate the answer from these two clues,
turn now to the section
which has the same number as your answer.
¹⁸

If you are unable to determine the correct answer, or if you choose not to open this portal,
turn instead to 39
.

Suddenly six burly gladiators come rushing into the room with their swords drawn.

‘How dare you enter the Chamber of the Font!’ screams one scar-faced fighter.

‘It is forbidden!’ shouts another. ‘Only gladiators of Vassa lineage may enter here and drink the holy waters!’

There is further outrage when they see your attacker lying on the floor. The scar-faced fighter kneels and places a hand to the man's neck, and then he glares at you and screams: ‘He's dead! You've killed Malduz!’

‘We'll see you pay for this,’ shouts another, and slowly the angry men advance into the room with murder blazing in their eyes.

Desperately you look around for a means to escape, but the doorway offers the only way of leaving the room. You are about to rush at the advancing gladiators and fight your way through them, when suddenly you see something that stops you dead in your tracks.

Turn to 91
.

You accompany the captain back to
The Pride of Sommerlund
where you are welcomed aboard by two men — First Mate Paoll, and a fair-haired young man whose blue surcoat is emblazoned with the scarlet anchor of the Kirlundin Isles.

‘My name's Dryan — Sergeant Dryan of the 1st Kirlundin Marines,’ says the proud young man. ‘I've a dozen marines in my charge and we've been assigned a tour of duty aboard this ship for the duration of its voyage south.’

Paoll is eager to show you to your cabin which is situated at the stern, next to the captain's quarters, but you decline his offer. Instead you speak further with Sergeant Dryan and learn that he and his marines have been ordered aboard the ship by King Ulnar. Dryan's instructions are to protect the ship's cargo from the threat of pirate attack. At first you are suspicious; in his briefing Lone Wolf said nothing about an escort of marines. To determine whether Dryan is telling the truth, you probe the sergeant's mind using your psychic Kai skills and discover at once that he is genuine. He does not know or suspect the true purpose of your journey.

‘Well I'm glad to be sharing this voyage with you and your men,’ you say. ‘It makes me feel much safer knowing we have marines on board.’

You salute the sergeant and he goes off to attend to his men. Then Captain Raker turns to his First Mate and bellows: ‘Alright, Paoll. Set the crew to work. I want us to catch the ebb tide within the hour.’

Turn to 278
.

You reach an empty landing where a new circular stairway ascends to the top of the bell-tower. There are two sets of fresh tracks in the dust here; one set are human prints, but the other set are unlike anything you have ever seen before.

With your Kai senses alert to every sight, sound, and smell, you ascend the spiral stairs. You are halfway to the top of the tower when you hear a man's voice whimpering for help. It sounds as if he is trapped somewhere near the top of the stairs. You raise your weapon and quicken your pace until you arrive inside the bell chamber. Here a great bronze bell hangs suspended by chains from the apex of the tower. Something moves in the shadows away to your left and you raise your weapon in readiness to strike out, but you stay your hand when you see that it is a bearded man. He is dressed in the robes of a cleric of the temple and he is cowering with fright. He sees you and points to the bell.

‘It's … it's there. Behind the bell. For Ishir's sake, help me … help me.’

If you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery or Telegnosis,
turn to 72
.

If you possess neither of these skills,
turn to 297
.

You try to recall what you know about the sickness called Bita Fever. During your studies of the Kai curing skills you were told about this tropical disease, but all you can recall is that it originated in the Bita Swamp of Dessi and that it is usually only fatal in the very young or the old. Healthy adults rarely die from it, although the symptoms in those affected are unsightly. Victims suffer a scarlet rash that often affects the face and hands. A normally healthy person who contracts the disease will usually recover completely within a month.

When you look at the faces of the mourners you notice that many of them are red and swollen. The marines have never before encountered this disease, and when you tell them what you know, they insist on leaving at once, before the quarantine is put into force.

Turn to 148
.

You wake early and take time to clean your Weapons and equipment before going downstairs to the taproom at dawn to meet with Yranai. Together you leave the tavern and pass through the town's east gate as a bell in a nearby tower clangs five times. For a mile you walk along the caravan route to Hikas until you come to a place where a fallen toa tree lies across a ditch beside the road. Yranai stops here and points to a gentle hill little more than half a mile distant. ‘I'm sure she's behind that hummock,’ he muses, and he sets off with you following patiently behind.

As you reach the top of the hill you see his flying craft resting in a gully below. It is a huge balloon which is attached by steel cables to a basket that lies on its side. A tangle of metal pipes and brass cylinders hangs suspended in a cradle under the balloon, and several parts of this strange engine are dented and scraped, indicating that Yranai must have had a bumpy landing. On reaching the balloon, you struggle to set the basket upright while Yranai fits the repaired convexor. Minutes later, he turns a valve and the engine splutters into life. After a few bangs and wheezes it settles into a chugging rhythm, and you both scramble to climb aboard as the balloon rises and hoists the basket off the ground.

Simoom
ascends rapidly into the cloudless sky. Soon you can see the town of Bavari spread out below you like a detailed map, the southern Vassagonian coastline with its inlets and villages, and to the south the snowy peaks of the Great Masourn Mountains. Yranai tinkers with the engine and you feel the balloon beginning to drift southwards, towards a gap in the peaks of the great mountain range.

If you possess Grand Huntmastery
and
Telegnosis,
turn to 316
.

If you do not possess both of these skills,
turn to 211
.

Young city children wave and cheer as the caravan trundles out of Bisutan. Soon you cross the great southern bridge, and when you look down at the sparkling blue waters of the Khorda, you see there a flotilla of tiny fishing craft plying their trade. For the first hour of the journey you content yourself with the view and watch the lush scenery and picturesque villages of the river basin pass before your eyes. However, when the caravan enters the Bavari Hills this pleasant landscape soon gives way to a more mundane vista — a seemingly endless sea of barren mounds and arid rocky outcrops.

After a while your attention turns to the other passengers. They are a cheerful group of Vassagonians who are returning to their homes in Bavari after family visits and business in Bisutan. You pass the time exchanging stories and playing cards. You learn that this caravan is regularly used by the merchants of Bavari and Hikas. They prefer to transport their wares by road rather than risk the sea voyage through the Bay of Sharks. Contrary to its name, you hear that there are no longer any sharks in this bay; they migrated to southern waters many centuries ago. One of the passengers jokingly suggests that the reason they left was because of the pirates. The bay is a notorious haunt of buccaneer fleets and renegade privateers.

The surrounding country may be bleak and barren to the eye, but the road is good and the territory is safe. The merchants have established armed outposts every 20 miles which help to deter bandits from raiding the caravans
en route
. The first night is spent at an outpost and the second night a camp is struck at an oasis where the road is joined by a track. This neglected track traverses the mountains and leads to the Great Masourn Trail, an ancient trade route. Many of your fellow travellers have been looking forward to arriving at the oasis, for it allows them the chance to visit Temujun the Sage — the famous soothsayer of the Dry Main, and when the caravan arrives there, they hurriedly disembark. You watch with fascination as half of your wagon's passengers scurry towards Temujun's tent, which is pitched at the edge of a shimmering pool, whilst the other half gather about a blazing campfire and share their food while they enjoy a performance given by a troupe of actors.

Illustration XI
—Half of the passengers make for Temujun's tent whilst the other half gather about a blazing campfire.

If you wish to visit Temujun the Sage,
turn to 282
.

If you wish to go to the campfire and watch the actors,
turn to 40
.

If you prefer to stay aboard the empty passenger wagon,
turn to 185
.

It is dark when you finally bid farewell to Captain Raker and the crew of
The Pride of Sommerlund
. Ernan leads your party through the warm, lantern-lit streets of this fragrant coastal town and soon you arrive at the Barczak Stables. This grand establishment comprises a large single-storey building with arched windows and a clay-tiled roof, surrounded by numerous orchards, paddocks, and porticoes. The estate is shrouded in darkness and appears to be deserted, although your keen Kai senses detect that there are people asleep somewhere inside the main building.

Next to the main gate stands a wooden notice board displaying a dozen sun-yellowed parchments. A closer inspection reveals them to be a handwritten roster of all the horses that are for sale. You cannot help but notice just how expensive they are. If the five of you were all to pool every Gold Crown you possess, you would still not have enough to buy even the cheapest horse on this list.

In a paddock behind the main building you can see a dozen horses quietly enjoying the warm night air. Sligh points out that there is nobody around and he suggests that it would be easy for you to help yourselves to five of these fine steeds.

‘I'm not a horse thief,’ you retort, ‘and I've no wish to rob these stables.’

‘I respect your honesty, my lord,’ says Sligh, ‘but surely you don't want to have to walk all the way to Bisutan? I'm not saying we steal five horses, I'm saying we just borrow them for a while. We can hire a rider to bring them back just as soon as we reach Bisutan.’

You are not entirely convinced that Sligh is sincere, yet you agree reluctantly to go along with his plan.

If you possess the Discipline of Animal Mastery,
turn to 267
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 325
.