Voyage of the Moonstone (29 page)

The faces of your three companions are covered by an unsightly red rash. Each man is suffering a headache and they feel nauseous and dizzy, yet these discomforts fade after you attend to them using your Kai curing skills. However, try as you may, you cannot relieve them of the vivid rash that has erupted all over their faces, hands, and feet.

With dismay, the three men resign themselves to the fact that they have contracted Bita Fever. Although their lives are not at risk, the inflammation of their skin is causing them great discomfort. Their only hope of easing the persistent irritation is for them to reach Bisutan and find an apothecary who may be able to concoct a lotion to soothe their purulent skin.

You ride all day under a clear sky and a blazing sun and stoically the marines suffer their pain in silence. Their only relief is the protection afforded by their cool, flowing
mhaktis
. It is late in the afternoon when you catch your first sight of the great city of Bisutan, which is located upon an island in the estuary of the River Khorda. A titanic stone bridge carries the coastal road over the shimmering waters of the Khorda towards a towering gatehouse which is flanked by two massive stone dragons. It is not the custom of Bisutan's city guards to stop travellers without good reason, for here the merchants of all Magnamund meet to haggle and trade and barter their cargoes. They allow you to pass through their great gate, but one sharp-eyed young guardsman with promotion on his mind notes the strange pallor of your companions and he demands that they halt.

‘Bita Fever,’ proclaims a gruff old guard sergeant, and he demands that they dismount at once. He summons five spearmen from a nearby guardhouse and when they arrive he orders that your companions be taken to a gaol on the far side of the great bridge. You protest but the sergeant is adamant that they should spend a month there in isolation until the symptoms of the fever have disappeared. He assures you that they will be treated well, but they will not be permitted any visitors during their isolation. As they are escorted back across the bridge at spear's length, they wave you farewell and urge you to continue your journey without them. You wait until they have disappeared from view and then you wheel your horse about and enter Bisutan alone.

Turn to 250
.

As you step into this dusty little shop you are hit by a cocktail of aromas that literally take your breath away. You cough to clear your throat of the sickly taste left by these pungent smells, and suddenly the owner of this shop appears in a doorway behind the back counter. He thinks that you are trying to attract his attention.

A quick scan of the shelves tells your experienced eye that there are no herbs of great value or interest here. Most of the potions on display are placebos and quack remedies. However, as you turn to leave, the herbalist produces a black box which he opens for your inspection. Inside are the following potions:

• Potion of Laumspur: restores 4
  ENDURANCE
  points when consumed after combat.
  
• Potion of Gallowbrush: induces sleep for one to two hours.
  
• Potion of Alether: increases
  COMBAT SKILL
  by 2. One use only.
  

All of the above potions cost 3 Gold Crowns. If you wish to purchase one or more of them, adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.

To leave the shop,
turn to 17
.

You tell the others to wait for you outside the stables and then you approach the paddock alone. The horses become restless as you draw closer, yet you are able to subdue them by using your natural Kai powers of Animal Control. Silently you open the paddock gate and command the nearest five horses to leave the enclosure. Obediently they obey your mental commands, following meekly as you lead them in single file to your waiting companions.

You mount your borrowed steeds and Ernan leads the way along a broad avenue that ends at the town's southern gatehouse. Two sleepy-eyed guards watch with indifference as you pass through the open gate and depart from Cape Kabar along its dusty coast road.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 146
.

If it is 5–9,
turn to 252
.

You fire your Arrow at the leader and it strikes his wing and breaks the bone, causing the creature to spiral out of control. Yranai yells and cheers but his triumphant cries are premature. You watch aghast as the Itikar collides with the balloon and stabs its talons into the canopy. In its desperation to survive, it shreds the cloth to ribbons before it falls away and plummets to its doom in the timberlands below.

The impact of the bird hitting the canopy knocks you off your feet. Yranai falls on top of you and, for a few nerve-racking seconds, you lie entangled at the bottom of the basket as the balloon rapidly loses altitude. When you pull yourself up and peer over the rim, you see the trees of the lower mountain slopes rising towards you at a dizzying speed. Yranai looks up to see shreds of cloth trailing from the punctured canopy above and the sight proves too much for him: he faints. Hurriedly you haul his frail body over your shoulder. Then you place one foot on the rim of the basket and get ready to make a desperate leap away from this doomed balloon as the tops of the mountain pines come into view.

If you possess Kai-alchemy,
turn to 107
.

If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 115
.

You are awoken shortly after dawn by the sound of a plaintive voice echoing across the rooftops of the city. It is the cry of a Vassa Elder and he is calling the faithful of Barrakeesh to early morning prayer. You gather together your equipment and Fernant's servant brings you a bowl and a pitcher of water so that you may refresh yourself before sharing breakfast with Oriah and the Lord-lieutenant.

After breakfast, Fernant oversees the loading of bags and other personal items aboard his mule-drawn carriage. Then an hour before noon the three of you leave for the quay and go aboard
The Pride of Sommerlund
. At first Captain Raker is unhappy about transporting Oriah, arguing that the presence of a beautiful young woman aboard his ship will distract his crew from their duties. However his objections quickly evaporate when Fernant offers to pay him 20 Gold Crowns for her passage to Bisutan.

The ship leaves Barrakeesh on the noon tide and makes swift progress ahead of a favourable southerly wind. But by dusk the wind has dropped, and Raker decides to spend the first night at anchor in a protected cove a few miles to the east of Chula. The night passes peacefully and you wake at dawn to a spectacular sight.

Turn to 35
.

You wake before dawn and spend an hour cleaning your Weapons and equipment before going downstairs to the taproom of the tavern. Behind the counter the tavern-keeper's wife is busy preparing breakfast for herself and her family, and she bids you a hurried good morning. Mindful of your need for transport, you ask if there are any horses for sale at the adjoining stables.

‘Only one,’ she replies, wiping her hands on her ale-stained apron. ‘An old mare called Jhani. She's past her prime but she's strong and dependable. I can let you have her for 10 Gold Crowns, and I'll throw in a saddle. What do you say to that?’

You agree to her price and pay her (erase 10 Gold Crowns from your
Action Chart
)
²¹
and she calls for her husband to bring the horse around to the front door. The chestnut mare is old but she is in fine condition and you are satisfied that you have made a wise purchase. You mount up and bid the taverners farewell before riding out of Bavari by way of its east gate. Your new mount lives up to the woman's description of her and you cover the first ten miles of your journey along the coast road with ease. As you pass through a grove of toa trees, you see a track branching off the main road. It descends a slope to a cluster of huts that are perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea.

If you wish to go and investigate this village,
turn to 6
.

If you decide to ignore the village, you can continue your ride along the coast road to Hikas by
turning to 89
.

Through the use of your advanced Kai skills you are able to determine that this man is a rich trader from Casiorn — the city of merchants. You detect no aura of evil about him and you sense that he does not intend to do you harm. The fact that he has identified you as a journeyman leads you to suspect that he has met other Kai in the past.

He repeats his request that you join him at his table and curiosity prompts you to accept his invitation.

Turn to 61
.

You enjoy a peaceful night's sleep and you wake at daybreak to the sounds of seagulls and the early morning tide. On the floor beside your door is a tray piled high with all manner of cooked meats, fresh fruits, and grilled fish. You eat a hearty breakfast and find that there is still enough left over for another 2 Meals.

After breakfast you gather up your equipment and go down to the paddock to collect your horse. The hostel-keeper waves farewell from the kitchen window as you mount your horse and ride him away across the courtyard.

Turn to 314
.

‘For Sommerlund and the Kai!’ you cry, as you leap fearlessly from the rear deck into the midst of the enemy horde. You fell three armoured warriors with the first sweep of your arm, and cleave the head from the shoulders of another on your backstroke. Noise, death, and confusion press in on all sides, yet you remain ice cool in the heat of this fierce deck battle. Bright steel flashes in your face and you duck to avoid its bite; then you spring forward like a charging lion, your weapon a deadly blur as you cut a devastating path through the raiders' packed ranks. You have fought to within a dozen paces of Sergeant Dryan when suddenly the raiders launch a desperate counterattack in an effort to halt your inexorable advance.

Shadakine Raiders:
COMBAT SKILL
 36   
ENDURANCE
 40

You may evade this combat after three rounds by
turning to 13
.

If you win the combat,
turn to 97
.

The elder points the tip of his black staff at the satchel containing the Moonstone which is slung over your shoulder. You feel the warmth of the stone rapidly increasing until the satchel becomes uncomfortably hot against your thigh (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points). You are about to cry out in pain when suddenly the elder moves his staff and the heat of the stone swiftly cools.

Illustration XIX
—The elder points the tip of his black staff at the satchel containing the Moonstone.

Although you have suffered physical discomfort induced by his magical staff, you sense that the elder is still unaware of what the satchel contains. The korlinium lining has kept your secret secure.

Turn to 302
.

The owner places the items under his counter and then he ushers all four of you to a table. After a few minutes his wife appears carrying four plates, each stacked high with a mound of fresh vegetables and poached fish. While you enjoy this delicious meal, you listen to the marines talking about their homes and families back on Kirlu, their past tours of duty, and their fond memories of Sergeant Dryan. You sense that each man, in his own way, is grieving the loss of this brave young sergeant. Soon their jovial conversation has become tinged with melancholy and homesickness and you become a little worried by their mood of sadness. To raise their morale you ask the owner to bring them each a measure of his finest brew. Gladly he accepts your order and pours each man a flagon of strong dark ale. This proves most effective in curing their melancholy for it is so strong that it renders all three of them unconscious! With the owner's help you carry the marines to their beds and then return to enjoy a small glass of ale in his company.

A little while later an old woman enters the inn clutching a basket filled with bones, dice, and other fortune-telling paraphernalia. She offers to tell you the secrets of your future in return for 1 Gold Crown.

If you wish to accept the old woman's offer,
turn to 69
.

If you choose to decline her offer, you can retire for the night by
turning to 242
.

You leap over the bodies of the slain guardsmen and escape into the darkening streets beyond. You are unfamiliar with the passages and avenues of Bir Rabalou, yet, aided by your tracking skills, you manage to find your way back to the Tradewind Tavern. Here you are fortunate to discover the three marines who, despite their best efforts this day, have been unable to sell your horse to raise enough money to leave. They are surprised to see you come walking through the door, but very glad that you have returned. Oswin tells you that a curfew has been declared and that all foreigners have been forbidden to use the streets after dark. The tavern-keeper, who openly hates the Funtal, offers to hide you in the stables tonight in case the City Guard should pay another visit. Gratefully you accept his offer and spend a comfortable night hiding in his hay-loft.

Turn to 275
.