Fire on the Water (6 page)
You swing the Sommerswerd in a wide arc and hit four of the zombies in one sweep, but no sooner do their corpses drop to the deck than others press forward to take their place. You will never kill them all before they overwhelm you. As they start to tear at your cloak, you are forced to dive overboard into the sea to avoid certain death.
The venom is in your bloodstream. Your arm feels numb and you are beginning to sweat. The last sound you hear is the gentle lap of the surf and the cries of vultures high above.
Your life and your quest end here.
You are galloping along the forest road towards the cloaked riders when you see one of them raise a black staff high above his head. A knot of twisted black steel crowns the tip and it is starting to flow with a vivid blue flame. You are just ready to strike when a searing bolt of energy hurtles from the evil staff and explodes beside you. Thrown sideways by the force of the blast, you tumble into the undergrowth.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–7,
turn to 311
.
If it is 8–9,
turn to 159
.
You try hard to remember the significance of the orange door, but without success.
If you wish to enter this shop,
turn to 214
.
If you wish to continue on your way,
turn to 230
.
The soldiers quickly descend from the roof of the hut and grab their spears. They advance towards you and one of them shouts, ‘Password, stranger!’
2
If you know the correct password for this bridge,
turn to 111
.
If you do not,
turn to 307
.
[2] You must have learned the password (i.e. have read
Section 15
) during this same adventure (not only during a previous reading) in order to use it.
Pointing at a jug of ale on the bar, you tell the sailor to watch very closely. Closing your eyes, you concentrate on the jug until you can picture it in your mind's eye. As you will the jug to rise in the air, you hear the sailor gasp in amazement.
For three days and nights, the fleet of Durenor spread canvas and sail swiftly towards the Holmgulf. But although the voyage is fast, each ship in the fleet is cursed by misfortune. Sails tear, ropes mysteriously untie themselves and timbers warp and leak. The men become short-tempered in the cramped quarters, and fighting — often to the death — is commonplace. By the third night of the voyage, Lord Axim is close to despair.
‘Never have I suffered such a wretched journey. No enemy has been sighted nor battle fought, yet half my men are either ill or wounded, and we have lost two of our finest ships. We have been jinxed by an evil moon. How I pray that it would wane, for even if we were to arrive in Holmgard this very night I fear we are too weak to break the siege.’
As he speaks, you can see the dawn of the next day breaking. You think it may bring promise of relief, but the calm waters that now surround the fleet contain a far deadlier threat.
A priest suddenly leans forward and donates another Crown to the plate and the coach is allowed to continue on its way. ‘Perhaps you can return the favour sometime in the future, my son,’ he says and returns to his seat before you can reply. But you notice how strange it is that the hood of his robe keeps his face in constant shadow.
You are soon across the swollen river and the journey continues.
After nearly an hour, the coach stops at the shrine of Kalanane. It is said that this shrine is built upon the grave of King Alin, the first ruler of Durenor, and all around the shrine grow clumps of Laumspur.
If you wish to pick some of this herb,
turn to 103
.
If you do not, return to the coach by
turning to 249
.
Suddenly from out of the darkness above, there is a blood-chilling cry. You look up to see the glowing red eyes of a Helghast as it charges down the steps straight at you. You scream in terror and frantically search for a weapon.
If you have a Magic Spear,
turn to 338
.
If you do not,
turn to 234
.
You hear whispering among the crew and catch the words ‘ghost-ships’ and ‘cursed voyage’, but the whispering stops when the captain's voice calls for all hands on deck. A silence descends on the
Green Sceptre
as Captain Kelman addresses the crew in a loud voice.
‘Men, we are three days' sail from Port Bax, but with a strong wind and a stout heart we'll drop anchor and feast there in two. The fire has claimed many of our provisions and rations are hereby cut to one meal a day. A guard shall be placed upon the freshwater cask. But we are strong. We shall endure. Any man found thieving will receive a hundred lashes. That is all.’ The crew seem unhappy at the captain's decision, but none of them dares to challenge his authority.
Later that afternoon, you are invited by both the crew and by the captain to take your evening meal with them.
If you wish to eat with the captain,
turn to 321
.
If you wish to eat with the crew,
turn to 154
.
As you race through the door, you are knocked off your feet by the force of a spear thrust into your chest. As the moonlight fades, the last thing you see of this world is a circle of screaming villagers as they stab and hack you to death.
Your life and your quest end here.
A large man dressed in a leather apron is busily sharpening a fine Broadsword. He is seated at a grindstone that sends a shower of sparks high into the air every time he touches the blade to it. He bids you good evening and offers you the Broadsword.
‘ 'Tis a fine blade, wrought of Durenese steel. It can be yours for only 12 Gold Crowns.’
If you wish to purchase this Broadsword, mark it on your
Action Chart
.
If you leave this shop by the front door,
turn to 347
.
If you leave by the rear door,
turn to 3
.
The innkeeper hands you a key. ‘Room 4, second left at the top of the stairs. I expect you out an hour after dawn.’
Your room contains nothing more than a bed, a chair, and a small table. You lock the door and prop the chair against it for good measure, before settling down to sleep. You resolve to find some other route to Durenor in the morning.
With the back of his gloved hand, the guard knocks the gold from your grasp and it drops into the dark waters of the Rymerift. Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
to determine how much gold you have lost (0 = 10 Gold Crowns).
‘We would not sell the security of our land so cheaply,’ he says. ‘Only a bandit or a fool would try to bribe a soldier of Durenor, and I fancy that you are both.’
Unfortunately, you have insulted their honour and they intend to teach you a harsh lesson.
‘Bad luck, Lone Wolf. Your strategy is daring, but I think I have you now.’
The captain moves his ornate keystone across the board and you realize that the game is lost. You congratulate him on his mastery of Samor and hand over 10 Gold Crowns.
‘Perhaps another game tomorrow evening? Never let it be said that I am not a fair man,’ the captain says. ‘Perhaps,’ you answer cautiously. You bid the smiling captain goodnight before returning to your cabin.
You spur your horse towards a cloaked Helghast that is about to strike a helpless soldier. This creature is immune to Mindblast and can only be wounded by a magical weapon.
If you have a Magic Spear,
turn to 332
.
If you do not, you must evade the combat and dive into the cover of the forest.
Turn to 311
.
Halvorc stares in shocked disbelief.
Halvorc:
COMBAT SKILL
8
ENDURANCE
11
He is unable to fight back for the first two rounds due to the surprise of your attack. Do not deduct any
ENDURANCE
points you may lose during these first two rounds. If he is still alive for the third round of combat, he comes at you with a dagger.
If you win this fight,
turn to 76
.
Through the pouring rain, you can just make out the dark shape of a city patrol marching towards you. If they should stop you and ask your business in Ragadorn, you could end up in the dungeons of Lachlan the Overlord. Rather than risk being arrested, you retreat along Black Knight Street and quickly turn into Sage Street as the soldiers march past.
You enter a large room full of ledgers and files. A man wearing the uniform of a Durenese naval officer is seated opposite at a large desk. He peers at you inquisitively from behind a huge book and says, ‘You must have pressing business in the naval quadrant to apply for a red pass at this late hour. I shall need to see your access papers and proof of your commanding officer's authorization.’
If you do not have the documents he requires or do not wish to show them to him, you will have to risk showing him the Seal of Hammerdal if you possess it.
Turn to 263
.
If you have collected the necessary documents on your quest,
turn to 126
.
If you do not have either the Seal or the documents, leave the room and return to the outer hall by
turning to 318
.
You are awoken during the night by the weight of something on your chest. You slowly open your cloak and are horrified to see a sand snake nestling beneath.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Animal Kinship,
turn to 264
.
If you want to try to grab this deadly snake behind its head and throw it into the road,
turn to 188
.
If you wish to jump up and brush the snake away,
turn to 201
.
Ahead you can see a passenger wagon similar in design to those that use the coast roads of Ragadorn. The horses have been cut free and it appears to be deserted. You notice the bodies of three soldiers lying beneath it. Their uniforms are heavily bloodstained.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense,
turn to 229
.
If you wish to search the wagon for food and equipment
turn to 134
.
If you would rather ignore the wagon and continue on your way,
turn to 208
.
As you run along Watchtower Street, you hear the curses of the guard fading behind you. You reach Tomb Square, and spot four soldiers marching up Tomb Street towards you. Quickly you head south to avoid them. You have been running along the cobbled street for nearly ten minutes when you spot a large stable and coach station in the gloom ahead. Under cover of the darkness, you enter and spend the night safely hidden in the hay-loft.
As you raise the glowing blade, the zombie captain pulls an evil-looking dagger from inside his tattered jacket. You must fight him to the death.
Zombie Captain:
COMBAT SKILL
15
ENDURANCE
15
Be sure to remember to double all
ENDURANCE
points your enemy loses due to the power of the Sommerswerd. The zombie captain is immune to Mindblast.
If you win the combat,
turn to 218
.
