Fire on the Water (17 page)
A hush descends on the tavern as the man you have accused turns to face you.
‘You've got a careless tongue, stranger,’ he says menacingly. ‘It should be cut out before it does any more harm.’ He draws a curved dagger and attacks you. The crowd form a circle around you both, preventing either of you from escaping. You must fight this man to the death.
Trickster:
COMBAT SKILL
17
ENDURANCE
25
If you win the combat,
turn to 21
.
Much of your time at Hammerdal is taken up by training with the Sommerswerd. Day by day your skill with the wondrous blade improves, and as you progress, so you learn more of its marvellous properties.
When you use the sword in combat it will add 8 points to your
COMBAT SKILL
total (10 points if you possess the Kai Discipline of Weaponskill with any sword). It has the ability to absorb any magic used against you and doubles the total of all
ENDURANCE
points lost by undead enemies (e.g. Helghast) during combat.
13
You also come to realize that it is the only weapon in all of Magnamund that can kill a Darklord, and for this reason above all others the Darklords are bent on thwarting your quest.
[13] The Sommerswerd is a weapon-like Special Item. The +10
COMBAT SKILL
bonus referred to for Weaponskill is a combination of the +8
COMBAT SKILL
that the Sommerswerd grants naturally and +2 for Weaponskill with Short Sword, Sword, or Broadsword (as each of them grant proficiency with the Sommerswerd). It is not an additional bonus. When used in combat, treat it like a one-handed sword, regardless of Weaponskill bonus. The text or footnotes will always remind you to double your enemy's
ENDURANCE
point loss if it is undead.
Seeing their master slain, the Giaks falter and retreat towards the stern. Captain Kelman rallies his crew and attacks, leading his men against the snarling creatures and driving them back until they leap into the sea to avoid the rain of swords. Knowing the battle to be lost, the Kraan leave the masts and fly back to the distant coastline.
‘Our thanks, Kai Lord,’ the captain says and shakes your hand. ‘We are proud and thankful to have you with us.’
A cheer resounds along the deck as the crew voice their praise.
You help tend the wounded whilst repairs are carried out on the damaged masts. Within two hours they are complete, the wind fills the sails, and you continue your voyage to Durenor.
You push on through the dense forest for nearly three hours before you discover a track heading north, running parallel to the Rymerift, whose rushing waters are over one mile deep. In the distance, you spot a bridge that spans the dark water at a narrow point. A small hut with a flat roof has been erected in the centre, on top of which stand two soldiers. A sign points across the bridge.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Tracking,
turn to 147
.
If you wish to cross the bridge,
turn to 47
.
If you wish to avoid the bridge and continue along the path,
turn to 207
.
You turn east into Oxyoke Way and notice a sign above the door of a small shop to your left.
If you wish to investigate the weaponsmithy,
turn to 266
.
If you wish to continue walking east,
turn to 310
.
One of the guards steps forward and demands to see your pass.
If you have a White Pass,
turn to 170
.
If you have a Red Pass,
turn to 202
.
If you do not have a pass, you will be refused entry to the harbour.
Turn to 327
.
You are mesmerized by the falling mast and feel totally powerless to escape. As you are crushed beneath the enormous weight of splintering timber, the last thing that you remember are the horrified faces of Captain Kelman and his crew staring down at you.
Your life and your mission come to a tragic end here.
As you lay the golden sword upon the deck, the zombie captain dives at you and pins you down. His strength is unnatural. As he sinks a dagger into your throat, the last thing you hear is a hideous laugh of victory.
Your quest and your life end here.
During the course of the afternoon's journey, you chat with your fellow travellers and learn about their backgrounds.
Illustration XV—You chat with your fellow travellers and learn about their backgrounds.
Sitting opposite are two brothers named Ganon and Dorier. They are knights in the Order of the White Mountain, warrior lords of Durenor who have pledged allegiance to protect the country from raids by the bandits of the Wildlands. They own a castle and land near Port Bax. Next to them sits Halvorc the merchant. His nose is swollen and his face is badly bruised thanks to Lachlan, the Overlord of Ragadorn. A little misunderstanding about port taxes lost him his cargo and most of his gold. Seated by the far door is a priest called Parsion. Like you, he is a Sommlending who has journeyed across the Wildlands by coach on his way to Port Bax. Beside you sits a young woman called Viveka. She is a mercenary adventuress who earns her gold by fighting for it, and sells her services to the highest bidder. She is returning to Port Bax having collected payment for a successful adventure in Ragadorn.
Not wishing to reveal your true identity, you have pretended to be a simple peasant. The travellers seem unaware of the war that now rages in Sommerlund.
The soldier looks at you with a disbelieving stare.
‘Where are your goods? Where is your horse or wagon? Merchants never travel to Port Bax on foot. You are no merchant — a bandit more like, desperate to put distance between yourself and some foul deed best left untold. Go back to where you have come from, scum. We have no need of the sort of goods you sell.’
If you are to get past this border guard alive, you will have to come up with an alternative plan.
If you wish to walk away, make a wide detour and enter the forest further south,
turn to 244
.
If you want to try to bribe the guard,
turn to 68
.
If you choose to reveal the Seal of Hammerdal (if you still possess it),
turn to 223
.
It is nearly dark when the small fishing boat passes through the harbour entrance of Ragadorn. You have still seen no sign of survivors from the storm and you fear the worst.
You notice that three of the fishermen are acting very suspiciously. They whisper to each other and their eyes often glance at your money pouch. As the boat sails into the estuary of the River Dorn, they surround you and demand that you hand over all your gold. You are about to fight them when an unexpected blow from behind knocks you to the deck. You see one of the fishermen raise his foot. As it strikes your head, suddenly everything fades into darkness.
You try to remember some of the stories told to you by an old Kai master called Wise Hawk. He was envoy to Port Bax for many years, and he knew and loved this city as well as any native Durenese. You recall him saying that the consulate overlooked Alin Square in the naval quadrant of the city. There is a sign to your left pointing along the avenue.
Certain this is the right direction, you walk confidently along the tree-lined avenue.
This street follows the harbour wall towards the River Dorn where it then turns south into Booty Walk. As you pass the warehouses lining the waterfront, you recognize the stone signpost in the centre of the square ahead.
If you wish to continue south,
turn to 303
.
If you wish to walk along Barnacle Street and return to the tavern,
turn to 177
.
For three days and nights you have followed the highway to the capital as it runs parallel to the River Durenon. The river valley is a wide belt of rich, cultivated land that climbs towards the Hammerdal Mountains, one of the highest ranges in all of Magnamund.
It is on the morning of the fourteenth day of your quest, when six cloaked men appear at the edge of your camp. Lord-lieutenant Rhygar is the first to draw his sword. With a voice of authority he demands an explanation for their intrusion. In reply, they unsheathe black swords. Rhygar shouts to his men to prepare for combat as the cloaked strangers advance towards you.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense,
turn to 344
.
If you wish to draw your weapon and prepare to fight,
turn to 69
.
If you do not want to fight, you can evade by running into the woods before combat begins by
turning to 183
.
Taking hold of your weapon, you demonstrate the Kai skills of balance and speed, as taught to you by your Kai masters. With breathtaking speed, as you spin and twist the weapon around your head and body, the movement of your hands becomes a dazzling blur. To finish your display of Weaponskill, you strike the edge of a pewter plate and send it spinning across the room so fast that it embeds itself in the cellar door.
The sailor watches in amazement.
You pass the stone steps and continue along the highway. You have just passed under the platform when you hear a noise above you. You stop and stare upwards but you can see nothing in the gloom of the tunnel ceiling.
This rubbish-strewn cobbled street runs between rows of ramshackle, rot-infested houses and shops. The few inhabitants of Ragadorn that you see appear a cheerless lot, their faces haggard and drawn. They shuffle through the gloom, hunched against the pouring rain, their eyes fixed on the cobblestones at their feet. Then you reach a junction where Axe Lane bends towards the north and another street heads off towards the east.
If you wish to continue north and enter Black Knight Street,
turn to 335
.
If you wish to head east, enter Sage Street by
turning to 181
.
The stench of the ship is making you choke. You lose 1
ENDURANCE
point. You must get out of this vile hold or you will suffocate.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense,
turn to 272
.
If you wish to climb through the shattered deck,
turn to 17
.
If you wish to leave the hold through a door in the far wall,
turn to 5
.
