the wretch stirs to consciousness. He raises his face and you sense that he recognizes immediately who you are; his eyes blaze with an undisguised hatred.
‘He's a tough un,’ growls the gaoler. ‘I've used all o' me skills on 'im but 'e won't say who 'is paymaster be.’
The fat gaoler reaches for a pair of long-handled pincers which are protruding from a brazier of hot coals.
‘Perhaps you'll be wanting to interrogate 'im yourself, sire?’ he says, offering you the pincers. Wisps of smoke curl from their sharpened tips which are red and glowing.
‘Aye, gaoler, there are questions I'd like this man to answer. But I'll not be needing those,’ you reply, declining the use of the cruel pincers. ‘I prefer to rely on my own methods of interrogation.’
If you possess Kai-alchemy, turn to 79 .
If you possess Kai-surge, turn to 254 .
If you possess neither of these Grand Master Disciplines or choose not to use them, turn instead to 95 .
133
You wait until the line of Eldenoran soldiers has filed past the entrance to the dugout; then you slip outside and make your way swiftly along the trench. Suddenly there is a terrific boom, and a brilliant splash of blue-white fire illuminates the distant bridge. It is the opening bombardment in yet another futile assault across the river.
The trench ahead is empty; its owners have already gone forward to support the new attack. When you reach the end, you scramble over the muddy parapet and race head-down across a stretch of open ground towards a small wood.
Turn to 220 .
134
You do not slip very far before you are able to arrest your fall and descend at a slower pace. You find the Sun-crystal lying wedged among the rocks and, with a growing sense of awe, you take hold of it and weigh it in your hand. Then you turn to look back at the Shadow Gate in order to gauge your throw.
The halo of energy which surrounds the Shadow Gate begins to crackle fiercely, and your Kai instincts tingle with a strange and sinister premonition. You can sense that, on the Plane of Darkness, Naar has just consigned his newest champions to the Shadow Gate through which you escaped. His mighty dragon herd is on its way to Magnamund.
As the first rays of the dawn sun spread across the surrounding rocks, you draw back your arm and hurl the Sun-crystal into the gaping maw of the Shadow Gate.
Turn to 350 .
135
The carriage door swings open and the beautiful young woman steps gracefully out onto the stony trail.
‘May I be so bold as to introduce myself,’ she says, pausing to adjust a broad-brimmed hat which is trimmed with black corvayl fur, as silky smooth as her flowing hair. ‘I am the Baroness Coryene of the Lucia Province.’
She offers her delicate hand and you kiss it in deference to her noble rank. Out of the corner of your eye you notice the leading horseman dismount and come to stand protectively by her side.
Illustration VII —The beautiful young woman steps gracefully out and offers you her delicate hand.
‘Oh, and this is my personal guard — Dorst.’
You give the gruff-looking fellow a slight bow and he nods his head in response, albeit begrudgingly.
‘We are returning from a visit to my cousin's estate. We were hoping to reach Kalma by sunset, but we were delayed by bandits,’ she says, almost apologetically.
‘We made 'em pay dearly for wastin' our time, though,’ adds Dorst, with quiet menace.
‘It appears that we shall now have to encamp here in the hills this night,’ says the Baroness. ‘Perhaps you would care to join us, my lord? I would feel so much safer if you did.’
Despite Dorst's cutting glances, you agree to the Baroness's proposal. Then you produce the six trout that you caught earlier and offer them to her as a gift.
‘Why, thank you,’ she says, with a wide smile. ‘They look … delicious.’
Turn to 59 .
136
Despite not having made a telepathic contact with Guildmaster Banedon, you refuse to believe that he and Lord Rimoah are dead.
‘He's a tough un,’ growls the gaoler. ‘I've used all o' me skills on 'im but 'e won't say who 'is paymaster be.’
The fat gaoler reaches for a pair of long-handled pincers which are protruding from a brazier of hot coals.
‘Perhaps you'll be wanting to interrogate 'im yourself, sire?’ he says, offering you the pincers. Wisps of smoke curl from their sharpened tips which are red and glowing.
‘Aye, gaoler, there are questions I'd like this man to answer. But I'll not be needing those,’ you reply, declining the use of the cruel pincers. ‘I prefer to rely on my own methods of interrogation.’
If you possess Kai-alchemy, turn to 79 .
If you possess Kai-surge, turn to 254 .
If you possess neither of these Grand Master Disciplines or choose not to use them, turn instead to 95 .
133
You wait until the line of Eldenoran soldiers has filed past the entrance to the dugout; then you slip outside and make your way swiftly along the trench. Suddenly there is a terrific boom, and a brilliant splash of blue-white fire illuminates the distant bridge. It is the opening bombardment in yet another futile assault across the river.
The trench ahead is empty; its owners have already gone forward to support the new attack. When you reach the end, you scramble over the muddy parapet and race head-down across a stretch of open ground towards a small wood.
Turn to 220 .
134
You do not slip very far before you are able to arrest your fall and descend at a slower pace. You find the Sun-crystal lying wedged among the rocks and, with a growing sense of awe, you take hold of it and weigh it in your hand. Then you turn to look back at the Shadow Gate in order to gauge your throw.
The halo of energy which surrounds the Shadow Gate begins to crackle fiercely, and your Kai instincts tingle with a strange and sinister premonition. You can sense that, on the Plane of Darkness, Naar has just consigned his newest champions to the Shadow Gate through which you escaped. His mighty dragon herd is on its way to Magnamund.
As the first rays of the dawn sun spread across the surrounding rocks, you draw back your arm and hurl the Sun-crystal into the gaping maw of the Shadow Gate.
Turn to 350 .
135
The carriage door swings open and the beautiful young woman steps gracefully out onto the stony trail.
‘May I be so bold as to introduce myself,’ she says, pausing to adjust a broad-brimmed hat which is trimmed with black corvayl fur, as silky smooth as her flowing hair. ‘I am the Baroness Coryene of the Lucia Province.’
She offers her delicate hand and you kiss it in deference to her noble rank. Out of the corner of your eye you notice the leading horseman dismount and come to stand protectively by her side.
Illustration VII —The beautiful young woman steps gracefully out and offers you her delicate hand.
‘Oh, and this is my personal guard — Dorst.’
You give the gruff-looking fellow a slight bow and he nods his head in response, albeit begrudgingly.
‘We are returning from a visit to my cousin's estate. We were hoping to reach Kalma by sunset, but we were delayed by bandits,’ she says, almost apologetically.
‘We made 'em pay dearly for wastin' our time, though,’ adds Dorst, with quiet menace.
‘It appears that we shall now have to encamp here in the hills this night,’ says the Baroness. ‘Perhaps you would care to join us, my lord? I would feel so much safer if you did.’
Despite Dorst's cutting glances, you agree to the Baroness's proposal. Then you produce the six trout that you caught earlier and offer them to her as a gift.
‘Why, thank you,’ she says, with a wide smile. ‘They look … delicious.’
Turn to 59 .
136
Despite not having made a telepathic contact with Guildmaster Banedon, you refuse to believe that he and Lord Rimoah are dead.
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