by Joe Dever
129
You pass several narrow warehouses lining the waterfront, and reach the harbour wall. Here the road bears sharply to the right into Tomb Street.
Marching along the centre of this street are four heavily armed city guards. Rather than be stopped and possibly arrested by these soldiers, you dodge into an alleyway off to your right. The guards suddenly halt opposite the alley entrance. If one of them should turn his head, you will be spotted for sure. Behind you is a small window, leading into a crowded tavern.
Without a second's hesitation, you climb through the window as quickly as possible.
Turn to 4.
130
The priest approaches you and says, ‘You need to rest, as we all do. I understand your problem my friend. Please allow me to practice what I humbly preach,’ and with these words he leads you to the bar and places a Gold Crown into the hand of the innkeeper. ‘A room for my friend,’ he says and smiles.
Turn to 314.
131
You ask them what they want of you. In answer, they simultaneously produce long, curved daggers from inside their jackets. Their leader steps forward and demands your gold. As you hesitate, he shouts, ‘Take 'im!’ and all three attack you.
Deduct 4 points from your COMBAT SKILL and fight them bare handed. You must fight them one at a time.
Street Thief Leader: COMBAT SKILL 15 ENDURANCE 23
Street Thief 1: COMBAT SKILL 13 ENDURANCE 21
Street Thief 2: COMBAT SKILL 13 ENDURANCE 20
You may evade them during the combat by turning to 121.
If you kill all three thieves, turn to 301.
132
You crash to the muddy street in a shower of broken glass. You are winded by the fall, but otherwise unharmed. An angry villager armed with a cudgel tries to smash your skull, but you roll aside, jump to your feet and sprint away down the twisting street before he has struck his blow. Then an ugly Szall on horseback charges towards you with a raised spear. He is about to stab you when you sidestep and grab the weapon, pulling it and the Szall from the saddle.
If you wish to keep the Spear, remember to mark it on your Action Chart.
If you wish to stab the Szall with his own spear, turn to 317.
If you wish to mount his horse and escape, turn to 150.
133
Looking directly into the sailor's eyes, you concentrate your Mindblast at his open hand. Suddenly the man falls backwards from his chair, clutching his hand as if he had just picked up a red-hot coal. When you explain what has happened to him, he looks at you in amazement.
Turn to 268.
134
Suddenly from out of the darkness there is a blood-chilling cry. You find yourself staring into the glowing eyes of a Helghast. As it tries to close its fingers around your throat, you scream in terror and fall to the ground. The hideous creature tears at your tunic, rending the cloth with its black claws.
Illustration VIII—You find yourself staring into the glowing eyes of a Helghast.
If you have a Magic Spear, turn to 38.
If you do not, turn to 304.
135
The knight points to the woods behind you and says in a gruff voice, ‘There is your shelter.’
Before you can reply, he has stepped back into the tower and bolted the heavy door. The forest here is very dense and the undergrowth is a tangle of weeds and briars. It will prove impossible to enter the wood on horseback, so you must abandon your mount before continuing on foot.
Turn to 244.
136
‘The fare to Port Bax is 20 Gold Crowns,’ says the coachman in a gruff Ragadornian accent.
If you have 20 Gold Crowns and wish to purchase a ticket, turn to 10.
If you do not have enough money for the fare, turn to 238.
137
You reach a junction where Beggar Lane turns south into Black Knight Street. A few yards along there is another lane called Anchor Street, which heads off towards the east. The rain has become much heavier now.
If you wish to head south along Black Knight Street, turn to 259.
If you wish to head east along Anchor Street turn to 20.
138
You have been walking for nearly two hours when you reach the peak of a hill and see the Durenor Forest stretched out before you. The road bears eastwards and enters the trees at a point where a large wooden tower has been built. You can see the silhouette of a soldier on guard.
If you wish to continue on your journey towards the watchtower, turn to 232.
If you would rather avoid the guard, make a wide detour and enter the forest further south by turning to 244.
139
The training that you received in the art of Hunting has taught you to recognize most of the poisonous and non-poisonous fruits to be found in northern Magnamund. These purple fruits are larnuma, a sweet and nutritious food. You quickly eat your fill and then store enough of them in your Backpack for 2 Meals.
Beyond the larnuma trees, you notice a wide coast road that disappears towards the east and the west.
If you wish to head east, turn to 27.
If you wish to head west, turn to 114.
140
Both guards stare at the Seal in awe. The legend of the Seal of Hammerdal is well known to all the people of Durenor. It is said that of all the lost treasures of Durenor, the Seal of Hammerdal is the one they would not wish returned. The anxious faces of the two guards show they clearly realize its significance.
One of the guards escorts you across the Rymerift and along a forest road that eventually ends at a junction. A signpost points to the east.
PORT BAX — 3 MILES
‘I must leave you now and return to the Rymerift. I fear that war will soon cast its black shadow upon this land and I shall be needed at the border. Godspeed to you Sommlending, godspeed.’
You watch for a few minutes as the soldier returns along the forest track before you set off eastwards. You should arrive in Port Bax within the hour.
Turn to 265.
141
As the mast smashes into the deck, a splintered beam hits your head and you are knocked overboard. Gasping for air, you fight your way to the surface and catch hold of a hatch cover. You are half-stunned. You lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
You pull yourself onto this makeshift raft and cling to it with all your strength. If you are wearing a Chainmail Waistcoat, you must discard it now or otherwise you will be drowned for sure.
You feel dizzy and sick. As the heaving sea buffets you relentlessly, you gradually slip into unconsciousness. When you awake many hours later, the storm has passed. By the position of the sun, you judge it to be late afternoon. In the distance you can see a small fishing boat and beyond it, on the horizon, land. The only trace of the Green Sceptre is the hatch cover on which you now sit.
If you wish to use your cloak to try to signal to the fishing boat, turn to 278.
If you wish to ignore the boat and paddle towards the shore, turn to 337.
142
The man takes your money and hands you a White Pass that is valid for the next seven days. (Mark the White Pass on your Action Chart as a Special Item.) You thank him and leave the building. Outside you turn left and walk towards the guards at the end of the street.
Turn to 246.
143
You head south and follow the quayside until you come to a junction where the street heads off towards the east. Most of the shops in this street are still closed except for one to your right. There is a sign above the door.
Jinelda Koop — Alchemist: Magical Potions Bought and Sold
If you wish to enter the shop, turn to 289.
If you wish to continue on your way, turn to 186.
144
A large Noodnic, wearing a brightly coloured cloak of patchwork silks, orders several of his people to arm themselves and drive you out of the hall. When you speak to them in their own language, a hush of astonishment fills the cavern. Never before have
they encountered a human being who could actually speak their tongue. For some of them it is too much to grasp, and they stare at you open-mouthed, their furry little arms hanging loosely by their sides.
Then the large Noodnic addresses you, saying he is the leader of this colony. His name is Gashgiss and he welcomes you and invites you to join him on top of a raised platform in the centre of the chamber.
Illustration IX—The large Noodnic, wearing a brightly coloured cloak of patchwork silks, addresses you.
‘Yooze notta Dureneeze man-man, eh? Whereza yooze come za from, eh?’ questions Gashgiss, in his strange Noodnic accent.
You tell him that you are a Sommlending on your way to Hammerdal. He looks at you nervously, and then asks, ‘Yooze notta Blackscreamerz, eh?’ You realize that the ‘Blackscreamerz’ that Gashgiss refers to are Helghast. You learn that two of them arrived in Tarnalin over two hours ago, and caused quite a panic in the main tunnel. Gashgiss knows where they are lying in ambush, waiting for you to appear.
‘Iza show yooze z'way past zem, eh?’ he offers. You nod your agreement and follow him down the steps of the platform, to the hall below.
The Noodnics seem to have overcome their shock and react to you now as if you were one of them. Before you leave, a pretty female Noodnic offers you some food for your journey ahead. There is enough for two Meals. You thank her for her generosity and then follow Gashgiss along one of the many passages leading out of the cavern. After an hour of trekking through the dark, he stops and points towards a shaft of light that is pouring through a crevice in the far distance. ‘Yooze goez left, yooze be zafe,’ he says.
You thank Gashgiss for his help and silently thank your Kai masters who taught you the skill of Animal Kinship. The many years of instruction have probably saved your life. You squeeze through a fissure in the rock wall and drop three feet to the pathway below. You are thinking how kind the Noodnics were when you discover that they have stolen all your gold! You will have to mark this on your Action Chart.
Continue along the tunnel and turn to 349.
145
You are becoming weaker and weaker. After what seems an eternity of painful struggle you find the Laumspur and force yourself to swallow the dry leaves. Within seconds you are violently sick, after which you drift off into a restless sleep.
It is nearly an hour before you awake and you still feel dreadfully ill. Deduct 5 ENDURANCE points.8
As you slowly regain your strength, the shock of what has happened soon turns to anger. You grab your equipment and stagger out of the room, intent on confronting your would-be assassin.
Turn to 200.
[8] Due to the loss of ENDURANCE after consuming the Laumspur, it is probably intended that you may not restore 3 ENDURANCE points from eating the Laumspur as you normally would.
146
You were right. The cloud is made of huge Zlanbeast and many Kraan, a smaller species but one that is just as deadly. Hanging below their black bellies are nets full of Giaks. As the Zlanbeast descend on the Green Sceptre, a net of shrieking Giaks crashes onto the deck behind you. Some are crushed in the fall, but many more have survived and waste no time attacking you. You must fight them as one enemy.
Giaks: COMBAT SKILL 15 ENDURANCE 15
If you win this combat, turn to 345.
147
Your senses reveal that the path is a dead end. The only way that you can cross the Rymerift and reach Port Bax is via the bridge.
Turn to 47.
148
You wrap yourself in your Kai cloak and raise the hood. The driver shouts and whips the horses and soon you are on your way along the tree-lined coast road to Ragadorn. During the journey, you talk to the driver and learn some useful things about the seaport of Ragadorn.
Ever since Killean the Overlord died three years ago, Ragadorn has been ruled (or misruled according to the driver) by his son, Lachlan. It seems that he and his men are nothing more than pirates. They tax the people heavily, and murder all who oppose them.
You are hungry and during the coach ride, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
At last, in the distance, you can just make out the city wall of Ragadorn. A bell is tolling — it rings twelve times. Eventually the coach passes through the west gate of the wall and pulls to a halt.
‘If you want to get to Durenor, you can catch a coach from the stable at the east gate. Best hurry mind, it leaves at one o'clock,’ the driver tells you.
You thank the driver for the advice and jump to the cobblestones below. For the first time, you suddenly notice the awful stench of this dirty seaport. A rusty sign nailed to a rot-infested house says ‘Welcome to Ragadorn’.
If you wish to go north along Westgate Lane, turn to 122.
If you wish to head south along West Bank Walk, turn to 323.
If you wish to head east into Axe Lane, turn to 257.
149
You can sense that this guard is a loyal Durenese soldier. If you were to attempt to bribe him, he would be likely to consider it a grave insult and attack you.
If you wish to show him the Seal of Hammerdal, turn to 223.
If you would prefer not to show it, if you do not have it, or if you wish to pretend to be a merchant on your way to Port Bax, turn to 250.
150
You spur the horse along the twisting village street across a wooden bridge and up a steep path towards the crest of the cove. In the light of the moon, you catch a glimpse of a signpost pointing eastwards.
You ride all night without sleep. As the dawn breaks, you are greeted by a startling change of landscape. The barren Wildlands have given way to moors and waterlogged fens. And a dark shadow runs the length of the eastern horizon for as far as the eye can see. This is the Durenor Forest, the natural frontier of the mountain kingdom where it borders the untamed Wildlands. It is indeed a welcome sight.
You are no more than a day's ride from Port Bax, but you are tired after your night ride and you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE Points. If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, you may use this skill to trap a wild moor-rat or marsh-bird for your breakfast. (You are leaving the Wildlands and heading into the Durenor Forest and may once again use Hunting to hunt for food.)
After an hour's ride you come to a fork in the road. There is no signpost.
If you wish to take the left fork, turn to 261.
If you wish to take the right fork, turn to 334.
151
Using your skill to mimic the gruff Ragadornian accent, you bluff the guard, saying that there is a fight in Tomb Square. You say that the city watch have been overpowered, and that he is needed at once.
To see if your bluff has been successful, pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have chosen is 0–4, turn to 262.
If it is 5–9, turn to 110.
152
It is early in the morning of the thirty-third day of your quest, when you ride into Port Bax with Lord Axim at your side.
The preparations for war have been completed. The galleons of the Durenese war fleet lie at anchor in the harbour, impatiently awaiting the order to set sail for Sommerlund. On board each ship are many brave soldiers from the mountain kingdom, a tough army of skilled warriors, eager to face the Darklords in battle. Each man has sworn to avenge their besieged allies, or die in the attempt.
You are to sail back to Holmgard aboard the flagship Durenor, a warship whose great curving prow and tall masts emphasize its sheer power and strength. You and Lord Axim are taken aboard and welcomed by Admiral Calfen, commander of the fleet, and then the fleet prepares to set sail.
In less than an hour, the harbour lies far behind you. The domes of Port Bax are now merely dots on the horizon.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–3, turn to 216.
If the number is 4–6, turn to 49.
If the number is 7–9, turn to 193.
153
> You forget about the rogue with his cup and marble game and instead watch a card game in progress near the tavern stairs. You notice that one of the players is cheating.
If you wish to challenge the man, turn to 241.
If you would rather ignore what you have seen, turn to 130.
154
The crew's quarters are cramped and stifling. But despite a lack of space and a poor evening meal (so poor in fact that you lose 2 ENDURANCE points!) the men are pleased that their invitation was accepted and you are treated as an honoured guest.
After supper, they invite you to play ‘Portholes’ with them, and wager a little gold on the fall of the dice.
If you wish to try your luck, turn to 308.
If you would prefer to decline the offer, bid them goodnight and return to your cabin by turning to 197.
155
After travelling a mile along the left track, you arrive at a long stone bridge. At first glance, the river that it crosses seems to be swollen and in danger of flooding the banks. Then you realize that this is the Rymerift. The waters of the Rymerift are two miles across at the widest point and over a mile deep for most of its length. Here, the land has slipped away and a natural gap has appeared separating Durenor from the rest of Magnamund.