Dawn of the Dragons (13 page)

Quickly you rise from the river and cough out a mouthful of cold water. The dust of the explosion is settling and you can see D'Val bringing the regiment forward.

‘Are you badly injured, Grand Master?’ he shouts, as he comes riding through the water.

‘I'll live,’ you reply, sardonically, and hurry to remount your skittish horse.

‘Thank Ishir you're with us,’ says the captain, as together you return to the regiment and lead them across the ford. ‘Without you, this wicked sorcery would have cost us dear.’

Turn to 235
.

The tip of the swirling vortex is drawn to the Platinum Amulet you wear around your neck, like lightning to a conductor, and upon the instant it touches there is a blinding flash. An electrifying jolt runs through your body and a deafening screech splits the air.

For a terrifying moment the amulet becomes red hot (lose 4
ENDURANCE
points); then there is another flash, and the power of the ring rebounds from the amulet and returns towards its source. For an instant you glimpse the Prince's face — it is a mask of abject terror. Then the vortex reaches him and, in a blink of an eye, he is swallowed up by a whirlwind of supernatural fire.

‘So perish all who serve the Dark God!’ you scream, elated by your unexpected victory over the evil Prince Lutha.

High above you can hear the distant sound of running feet. A troop of the Prince's guards are rushing to his aid, although you sense that it is too late to save him now. Rather than stay to face their wrath when they discover their leader has been incinerated, you use the edge of the amulet to prise open the circular panel in the wall of the pit. As it falls away, you discover a chute which leads to an underground river. Quickly you crawl along this slime-smeared chute and slip into the cold waters, where you are carried swiftly away by the strong undercurrent.

Turn to 150
.

Your horse crashes lifelessly to the ground and you are thrown forwards through the air. With cat-like grace, you land on your feet among the boulders and bracken which border this hill road, and regain your balance almost immediately. Seconds later, you see a yelling horde of leather-clad men, each brandishing a sword or a spear, come rushing from hiding places among the surrounding pines. As they close in upon you, you unsheathe your weapon and prepare to fight for your life.

Eldenoran Ambushers:
COMBAT SKILL
 38   
ENDURANCE
 42

If you win this combat,
turn to 285
.

The shrieking Lavas snatches you off the mountainside and soars into the air. At first you struggle to free yourself from its mighty claws, but then you see the creature is carrying you directly towards the yawning black maw of the Shadow Gate and you freeze with shock.

Moments before entering this hellish abyss, you look down and get a passing glimpse of the Sun-crystal lying among the rocks, no more than thirty feet from the entrance to the Shadow Gate.

If you possess Grand Nexus and have reached the Kai rank of Grand Thane,
turn to 247
.

If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 88
.

You sheathe your bloodstained weapon and dismount in order to search the bodies of your slain foes. Your search is thorough and it uncovers the following items:

• 6 Swords
  
• 4 Axes
  
• Broadsword
  
• 2 Spears
  
• 260 Lune (equivalent to 65 Gold Crowns)
  
• 4 Backpacks
  
• 5 Daggers
  
• Enough food for 12 Meals
  
• Rope
  
• Boar Whip
  
• Hammer
  
• Lantern
  
• Blanket
  
• Spyglass
  
• Silver Seal (Special Item)
  

If you choose to keep any of the above items, remember to record them in the appropriate sections of your
Action Chart
.

To continue your journey east,
turn to 340
.

You focus a blast of psychic energy at the trooper (deduct 1
ENDURANCE
point) and he collapses in the doorway, clasping his head and screaming in agony.

His cries of pain alert his fellow horsemen, but by the time they come to his aid, you and the shocked trooper's horse are nowhere to be seen. You keep to the trees and head south in a wide arc around the Eldenoran settlement at Fabri. During your ride through the woodland, you discover the following items in the bags and blanket roll which are attached to the horse's saddle:

• Sword
  
• Rope
  
• Tinderbox
  
• Blanket
  
• Bow
  
• Quiver containing 5 Arrows
  
• 12 Lune (equivalent to 3 Gold Crowns)
  
• Spyglass
  

If you decide to keep any of these items, remember to adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.

Shortly before sunset, you emerge from the trees at a place where three trails meet. A wooden signpost propped against a boulder indicates three directions, destinations, and distances:

You are anxious to leave hostile Eldenoran territory as soon as possible and, after checking your
map
, you set off to the south, towards the Slovian border town of Tenzha.

During your ride, unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 343
.

You spend the night at the Royal Citadel as the guest of Queen Evaine, and enjoy a fine feast and the hospitality of her court. Then, shortly after dawn of the following day, you bid her Majesty and your companion — Lord Ardan — a fond farewell before beginning the next stage of your long journey home.

The Queen has given her Lord Constable a Royal Seal and placed him, along with a troop of ten Court Cavalrymen, at your disposal. Lord Nathor and his men are to act as your guides and bodyguards on the road to Vanamor, the capital city of neighbouring Palmyrion. This republic is closely allied to Talestria and lies along its eastern border. Palmyrion also has close ties with your homeland and you look forward to the chance of renewing your friendship with its leader, Elector Manatine.

Mounted on fine Talestrian steeds, your party leaves the walled city of Garthen by its East Gate. Here you cross a great stone bridge on the far side of which is a signpost pointing to the east. It reads ‘Vanamor 280 miles’.

Turn to 210
.

You ride across this busy square and enter Ladder Way, a thoroughfare which heads towards the very heart of Varetta. Apothecaries and candle-makers' shops flank this wide street until it opens upon an ornate park that is filled with rare and beautiful flowers.

To the west of the park you notice a fortified tower, by far the tallest in the city. You feel inexplicably drawn towards this tower; it is as if it possesses the solution to all your problems. You leave the park by its west gate and enter a wider thoroughfare called Brass Street. Here you see the courtyard entrance to a grand building whose brick and marble façade is adorned with the words ‘Halls of Learning’.

You enter and ride along a gravelled path which leads to a building where a sign, hanging over its richly-carved oak door, simply says ‘Library’. You feel compelled to stop here and, without quite knowing why, you dismount from your horse and tie his reins to a ring which is set into the wall. Then you push open the door and enter the library's cool interior.

Countless thousands of books and parchments crowd the stone shelves of this magnificent library. Your eyes travel along them until they reach another door at the far end of the hall. There, standing framed in its archway, is an old man clad in plain brown robes. He looks at you and smiles knowingly.

‘Welcome. Grand Master,’ he says. ‘I have been expecting you.’

If you have ever visited a hut on Raider's Road, the city of Tahou, or Lake Vorndarol (in previous
Lone Wolf
adventures),
turn to 348
.

If you have never visited any of these places,
turn to 184
.

The swelling in your throat is choking your oesophagus, making it difficult for you to swallow: lose 6
ENDURANCE
points. Fighting back the pain, you force yourself to swallow hard and, within seconds, you feel the terrible plague symptoms begin to subside. (Remember to remove the Oede herb or Matho's Potion from your
Action Chart
.)

Turn to 193
.

The lower ranks of the Kai are proud and excited to have you among them. Your presence inspires their courage and you feel confident that they will fight exceptionally well in the coming battle. Lord Rimoah is also by your side, quietly intoning the words of battle-spells in preparation for the Lavas' attack.

‘Here they come!’ shouts Sabre Fox from the far end of the battlements.

‘Take up your bows, my lords!’ you cry, as the first wave of winged beasts comes sweeping down from out of the northern sky. ‘And make every arrow count!’

If you possess a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 192
.

If you do not,
turn to 78
.

The burning wolf-thing comes crashing down into the midst of its following pack members, setting fire to four of their number. A collective howl arises, a hellish shrieking filled with fear, anger, and pain. For a few moments the pack is thrown into turmoil, but this panic does not last and, with renewed tenacity, they soon come sweeping across the bridge towards you.

Turn to 304
.

You pull free from the shattered timbers and continue your swim, reaching the far bank as quickly as your aching lungs will allow. Using the corpses that litter the shoreline for cover, you crawl slowly from the river and slither on your stomach into the wood which commands this stretch of bank. Your stealth and your Kai camouflage skills keep you hidden from the watchful eyes of the Eldenoran archers who infest these trees, but they do not fool their keen-nosed war-dogs. You have barely reached the tree-line when they begin to bark and howl.

If you possess Animal Mastery,
turn to 47
.

If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 156
.

Suddenly there is a tremendous
Crack!
and a gaping chasm splits the ground wide open. With the hellish laughter of the Dark God Naar ringing in your ears, you are consumed by this fiery crevasse.

Tragically, on the threshold of victory, your life and your quest end here on the Plane of Darkness.

You follow the narrow track for half a mile before arriving at a clearing. Here you discover the poorly-concealed remains of an encampment which, on closer examination, you are convinced was used by the Eldenoran bandits who attacked the village at Pinepeaks.

Among the ashes of a campfire you find a small, soot-blackened silver seal which bears the star emblem of Eldenora. (If you wish to keep this Silver Seal, record it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item.)

Once satisfied that there is nothing else here of interest or value, you return with the troop to the red rock and continue east along the main trail.

Turn to 11
.

The speed and audacity of your crossing, coupled with your Kai camouflage skills, enable you to reach the Slovian side without being detected by the guards on either side of the river.

As soon as your horse's hooves touch Slovian soil, you spur him onwards and disappear swiftly into the welcoming darkness of the plains beyond.

Turn to 92
.

The hall is lit by a hundred sputtering candles and the light of a log fire which blazes in the chamber's imposing stone hearth. Three tall arched windows, each glazed with stained glass panels, are set into the south wall, and an impressive collection of books and fine tapestries line the others. Clearly, Knight Tranius is a refined man whose tastes extend beyond hunting the occasional boar.

After a few minutes, a concealed panel beside the fireplace slides open and a broad-shouldered man clad in a wolfskin coat and a silver helm steps into the hall.

‘Hail, Tranius!’ says Nathor. ‘It's good to … ’

The Lord Constable's words of greeting die in his throat and immediately you sense that something is very wrong. You hear a bolt slide shut outside the door to the hall, sealing it closed, and your Kai senses suddenly scream a warning of impending danger.

‘You're not Tranius,’ shouts Nathor at the shadowy figure at the far end of the hall. ‘By the gods! Who are you?’

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 101
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 72
.

‘It is good to see you again, Grand Master,’ he says, forcing a smile. ‘I was expecting you. I received word yesterday from Queen Evaine telling me of your urgent journey. Yet it is unfortunate that your visit should come at this time; I would have hoped to have given you the kind of welcome you truly deserve.’ The Elector then introduces you to his generals who acknowledge you with soldierly salutes.

‘As you can see, we are at war, Grand Master,’ he says, sweeping a hand over the maps which lie strewn across his state table. ‘The new ruler of Eldenora, a low-born blackguard by the name of Lutha who dares to adorn himself with the title “Prince of Duadon”, is attempting to seize our northern territories. We are locked in battle with his army of cut-throats near Holona and, though it pains me to have to admit this, we're hard-pressed to contain his advance. This war has come without warning and we were ill-prepared. We have few reserves, insufficient to support the Holona garrison and to counter the many small units of Eldenoran horsemen who are ravaging our plains. This is a dark and testing time for us, Grand Master, but e'en so, I shall aid you all I can.’

You learn that the Elector has already elicited, on your behalf, the help of High-Mayor Cordas of Casiorn. Cordas is reputedly the richest man in all of Magnamund. Manatine tells you that Cordas has ordered the construction of a sky-vessel to transport you swiftly to Sommerlund.

‘This craft is presently being built in Casiorn, and the High-Mayor has sent word that you should go there as quickly as you can. His teams of skilled artisans are working on the craft day and night, and he is confident that it will be completed in fifteen days' time.’

In times of peace, you would expect the 850-mile ride to Casiorn to take little more than two weeks to complete. But peace, always a fragile state in the Stornlands, has been shattered by Prince Lutha's unprovoked attack on Holona, a town through which you had hoped to travel. Anxiously, you ask the Elector how the war against Eldenora will affect your chances of reaching Casiorn swiftly.

‘Sadly, I cannot predict the future, Grand Master,’ he replies. ‘The war bodes ill for both our causes. However, I shall do what I am able to speed your journey onwards.’

The Elector motions to one of his guardsmen who turns and leaves the War Room. He soon returns with another soldier who wears the uniform of a captain.

If you have ever visited the Palmyrion military post at Stonewatch in a previous
Lone Wolf
adventure,
turn to 204
.

If you have not,
turn to 84
.