Voyage of the Moonstone

by Joe Dever

  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.

  [21] It is possible that you have fewer than 10 Gold Crowns. If so, you give all of your remaining Crowns to the tavern-keeper's wife.

  329

  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.

  330

  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.

  331

  ‘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.

  332

  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.

  333

  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.

  334

  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.

  335

  To your surprise you see that the attacking ship is armed with a large cannon, mounted on the prow. Moments after the pirates fire their gun, you hear the whistle of a heavy cannonball as it hurtles across the deck of The Pride of Sommerlund. Fortunately the pirates are poor gunners and it passes within inches of the mainmast before splashing harmlessly into the ocean. Sergeant Dryan commands his men to return fire and a volley of shots from the three swivel guns slams into the bow of the pirate ship with devastating effect. Two shots penetrate below the waterline and the third severs the bowsprit. As it falls into the ocean, it rips away sail and rigging which drag more than a dozen pirates overboard. In disarray, the enemy vessel veers from its collision course and founders in the wake of The Pride of Sommerlund as it enters the Bukimi Channel. Here your ship picks up a prevailing wind which propels it away from the second pirate raider. Soon both ships have disappeared and, when Raker is sure that the danger has passed, he warmly praises both the marines and his crew for the skill and courage they have displayed.

  Later, as the ship navigates the narrow strait dividing the two Lakuri islands, you pass within a few hundred yards of the fire-blackened ruins of a beach settlement which nestles in a bay, overshadowed on three sides by cliffs. This is Kita Cove, formerly a secret base from where Captain Khadro launched his pirate fleet. As you stare at the charred remnants of the pirate settlement, you try to imagine what it must have looked like before the encampment was consumed by a tremendous fireball that sealed its doom. Suddenly your daydreaming is interrupted when, to your shocked surprise, you see something moving among the ruins.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy, turn to 158.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 247.

  336

  You ride all night along the empty coast road and make good progress. Shortly after dawn you pass a stone signpost pointing to the south. Carved into its surface is the following message written in ancient Vassagonian script: ‘Bir Rabalou — 160 miles’.

  Beyond this sign the coast road ascends into an expanse of arid hill country which is populated by herds of wild goats. To the east you occasionally glimpse the ocean beyond the barren hills, while to the west you can see a range of distant mountains, their sn
owy peaks glistening stark-white beneath the fierce desert sun. Shortly before noon you happen upon the town of Kilij which lies in a narrow pass between two steep hillsides. Oriah and the marines are tired and sore after the long night's ride and they urge you to stop here so that they may eat and rest awhile. Together you ride into the town's busy market square and dismount at a stone water trough where you allow your horses to drink their fill. Around you the mood of the townspeople is friendly as they barter and trade their wares. A young boy offers to look after your horses while you visit the market. Initially you are suspicious of his motives until your Sixth Sense confirms that he is an honest lad, and one worthy of your trust. Oriah gives him a Gold Crown and his face beams with joy — he'll be able to eat well this week!

  The marines want to explore the market's bazaar in the hope of finding some blankets and rope with which they can improvise saddles and reins for the horses. Oriah is intrigued by the sheer number of people who fill Kilij's market square and she wants to find out what has drawn such a large crowd to this remote town. You too are curious and you agree to accompany her. After arranging to meet the marines at the horse trough in one hour's time, you follow Oriah as she pushes her way through the teeming crowd. When finally you reach the centre of the marketplace you are confronted by an unexpected and shocking sight.

  Turn to 31.

  337

  You run with the militia along the narrow twisting streets towards the south quarter of Hikas, where the town houses of wealthy merchants command expensive views of the River Carcos. Again a shriek pierces the darkness, but this time it is echoed by a terrible inhuman howl. ‘The beast!’ gasps the lieutenant, and he turns to rally his men onwards. Soon the street ahead meets a towpath which runs along the river bank, and you slow your pace so you can turn the corner. As you do so, you see a man dressed in his nightclothes leaning from the open window of a house close by. He appears to be in shock for he is sobbing and clutching fitfully at his dishevelled hair. You stop and call to him and slowly he responds. He sees you through his tears and points frantically to several small bundles lying on the towpath beside the gangplank to a barge. The lieutenant rushes past you and hurries to the first bundle. You see him drop to his knees and shake his head in disbelief, and then he turns away and retches. You magnify your vision and see, to your horror, what the bundles really are. They are the shredded remains of two men, two traders who have been dragged from their beds aboard their barge and torn limb from limb by some nameless creature of the night.

  Desperately you scan the towpath and the buildings which stand all along the river bank. Then you see something and your heart skips a beat. In the darkness of a narrow alleyway two amber eyes glint in the moonlight. You sharpen your focus and catch the faintest glimpse of a dark shape loping away.

  ‘There!’ you shout, and you give chase, with the city militiamen and the lieutenant following after. The passageway twists and turns like an angry snake before it ends abruptly at a junction where a wider alley crosses it from left to right. Quickly you drop to your knees and summon your tracking skills in an effort to determine which way the creature went.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess the Discipline of Grand Pathsmanship, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you possess Telegnosis, add 1.

  If your total score is now 2 or lower, turn to 32.

  If it is 3 or 4, turn to 196.

  If it is 5–7, turn to 256.

  If it is 8 or higher, turn to 111.

  338

  Your refusal to pay infuriates the toll collector. He brandishes his sword at you and threatens to cut off your ears. The marines laugh at his bravado; they are in no doubt who would end up the loser if he was foolish enough to pick a fight with you. Their disparaging laughter wounds his pride and you sense that he is about to fly into a blind rage. Using your psychic Kai powers, you cool his anger and persuade him to put away his sword. He does so, and politely now he asks that you pay a toll of 4 Gold Crowns to cross the bridge. With a nod of your head you indicate to your companions that this is a fair price and you each hand him 1 Gold Crown apiece (deduct this 1 Gold Crown from your Action Chart; if you have no money you must erase one Backpack Item instead).

  Illustration XX—Infuriated, the toll collector brandishes his sword and threatens to cut off your ears.

  The reduced toll charge does not include a night's lodging at the inn and so you ride through the village and set up camp on a wooded slope a mile beyond. The night is bitterly cold and the close proximity of scavenging timber wolves frighten your horses and prevent you from getting much sleep (lose 3 ENDURANCE points). At first light you strike camp and continue your ride through the Koneshi Pass.

  Turn to 156.

  339

  Your Kai Mastery reveals to you that there is only one person standing outside your room. You sense that this person is neither evil nor hostile, yet the fact that someone is there at all makes you feel a little uneasy. You reach for your weapon belt and put it on before you move cautiously to open the door.

  Turn to 116.

  340

  The pirate leader gasps his last breath and then crashes lifelessly to the deck. For a few moments his men stand transfixed with shock, as if they are unable to comprehend that he is truly dead. Then the reality of their loss crashes in upon them and they become overwhelmed by the worst of their fears. Leaderless and alone, they scream like frightened children and discard their weapons and armour in their haste to escape from your ship.

  Captain Raker orders his surviving crew members to cut the grappling lines which hold the two vessels together. When the last rope is severed there is a great rending of iron and timber as the ram of the pirate ship wrenches itself free from The Pride of Sommerlund's port side. Then a cheer resounds from the mouths of those Sommlending who have survived this desperate battle when they see the enemy ship turn about and flee for the safety of the isles off Cape Kabar. (You may now retrieve any Weapon lost during the course of the battle.)

  To continue, turn to 281.

  341

  Consciousness returns through a kaleidoscopic swirl of colour and pain (lose 4 ENDURANCE points). Bruised and aching, you pull yourself into a sitting position and see the wreckage of the balloon hanging among the trees and scattered across the rocks nearby. A few feet away lies Yranai; he is still unconscious and you see at once that his left leg is badly broken. Gingerly you pull yourself over to his side and you are about to examine his injured leg when you hear voices calling you from among the trees. Three Vakeros natives appear from out of the pines and come hurrying over the rocks towards you. You examine the old magician and discover that he has stopped breathing: he is near to death. It is only through the use of your Kai curing skills that you are able to make him breathe again and bring him back from the edge of the abyss. You set his fractured leg but, despite your best efforts, you cannot return him to consciousness.

  The three Vakeros tell you that they know Yranai and they offer to take care of him. They construct a makeshift stretcher from their coats and carry him to their settlement which is less than a mile distant. You stay here this night and use your healing skills to save the old man's leg before you eventually settle down to a few hours' sleep. At dawn you awake to find him still unconscious. You are anxious to continue your journey, and yet you feel compelled to help Yranai regain his health. You talk with the Vakeros and tell them that you must leave and they assure you that Yranai is safe with them. They promise to take good care of him. They also offer to give you one of their sturdy mountain horses, an old mare called Jhani, to help speed your journey southwards. Gratefully you accept their generous offer and then you bid them farewell before you leave their settlement by way of a mountain track.

  It is around noon of the following day when the track finally emerges from the foothills of the Great Masourn Mountains and joins the coast road some thirty miles from Hikas. In the distance you see a village and you ride towards it. At first the villagers
seem as friendly and as peaceable as the mountain dwellers who gave you your horse, but the moment they see you approaching they immediately freeze in their tracks. Some drop the items they are carrying and others begin to tremble with fear.

  If you wish to stop and talk to these anxious natives, turn to 171.

  If you decide to ignore them, you can continue riding the road to Hikas by turning to 273.

  342

  You dive to avoid the meteor but your reactions are too slow to prevent it from hitting your legs. A searing wave of agony engulfs your senses as the fireball slams into your lower body: lose 15 ENDURANCE points.

  If you have survived this terrible injury, you may continue by turning to 132.

  343

  After having stripped to your undergarments and locked your tunic and equipment safely away in your cabin, you join Oriah at the bow of the ship where you prepare to enter the sea together. Fernant and Raker watch from the forward deck as the two of you leap into the warm waters of the cove and make your first dive upon the wreck. Oriah is a strong swimmer, and you can tell by the effortless way she descends through the water that she is a skilled diver.

  The galleon is broken at its centre and lies with its fore and aft sections separated by an expanse of debris-strewn sand. As you view the halves of the wreck, two areas of particular interest catch your eye: a gaping hole in the hull of the forward section, and a cabin located on the rear poop deck.