Voyage of the Moonstone

by Joe Dever

  Since the demise of the Darklords and the fall of Zakhan Kimah — the despised Vassagonian ruler — peace has returned to the border regions of Dessi. Yet, as you approach the palisade, you see that the Vakeros guards are wary and suspicious. One of their elders approaches you and, with a staff of twisted black wood, he signals that he wants you to halt. Your Sixth Sense detects that his staff possesses magical properties; he is using it to assess if you are a threat to his village.

  If you possess an Iron Skull, turn to 237.

  If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 332.

  90

  Sligh hisses a warning that the riders are returning along the coast road. Quickly you take cover in the gully and wait with bated breath as the sound of their horses' hoofbeats gets louder. When they ride past the gully without stopping you breathe a little easier, for you feel sure that they must have decided to call off the chase and return home to Cape Kabar.

  Now that the threat has passed, you signal to Oriah and the marines to remount their horses. It is time to leave the gully and continue the long ride south.

  Turn to 336.

  91

  A dozen arena guards rush into the room and elbow their way through the gladiators' advancing ranks. They are armed with Bor muskets which they level at your head and chest. These primitive firearms are wildly inaccurate at ranges where a bow can be precise and deadly, but they are devastating when used at close quarters. Reluctantly you sheathe your weapon and raise your hands in surrender for to attempt an escape now is futile.

  The gladiators surround you swiftly and drag you out of the room. You are manhandled roughly along the tunnel and brought before a distinguished-looking man who is clad in fine white linen and jewel-encrusted armour. He is Torvax, the owner of the dead warrior-slave Malduz. The news that his finest gladiator is dead sends him into a blind fury. Malduz was to fight at dusk in the final combat of the circus. Now Torvax stands to lose the winner's purse of 1,000 Gold Crowns. In his rage he orders that you be executed at dusk before the entire arena. The situation is looking hopeless until, as you are being dragged away, you offer to fight for Torvax in Malduz's place.

  Illustration VI—In his rage, Torvax orders that you be executed at dusk before the entire arena.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If your current ENDURANCE score is 20 or higher, add 2 to the number you have picked. If your ENDURANCE is 8 or lower, deduct 2 from the number you have picked.

  If your total score is now 3 or lower, turn to 304.

  If it is 4 or higher, turn to 193.

  92

  You are woken in the middle of the night by a tickling sensation just above your left knee. At first you ignore it, but when you feel it moving you pull back the bed sheet and instantly you freeze. Crawling slowly up your thigh is a red-legged spider with a copper-coloured body the same size as a Gold Crown. At once your Kai instincts recognize it to be a zuath — a Vassagonian tree spider. Its venom has been known to kill in seconds.

  If you possess Animal Mastery, turn to 153.

  If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline, turn to 280.

  93

  Once you are both aboard, Captain Raker gives the order to weigh anchor and soon The Pride of Sommerlund is forging a course once more through open seas. With all sails unfurled, the ship cuts a swift course through the foam-flecked ocean. During the afternoon your southerly passage is joined by a school of dolphins who entertain you by leaping and plunging into the azure waves. The wind is strong and the voyage continues without incident until, early the following morning, the isles off Cape Kabar appear in a line upon the southern horizon.

  You meet with Fernant and Oriah on the rear deck and share a breakfast of bread and grilled Trarta. As you eat, you talk about yesterday's dive and the items that you found in the sunken wreck. You are enjoying the company of your travelling companions when suddenly the relaxed and easy mood is shattered by the lookout's frantic shout: ‘Pirate raider off the starboard bow!’

  Turn to 165.

  94

  The creature leaps upon you as you are falling backwards and you tumble down the circular stairs, locked together in a deadly embrace. It hits the floor of the landing below and its body cushions your impact, enabling you to recover quickly and unsheathe your weapon. The creature is momentarily stunned by the fall and you seize the opportunity to attack it before it can get to its feet.

  Deathstalker (stunned): COMBAT SKILL 38 ENDURANCE 38

  You may ignore any ENDURANCE losses sustained in the first round of this combat. The creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Kai-surge).

  If you win the combat, turn to 41.

  95

  The owner ushers you to a table and 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.

  96

  You walk to the south side of the market where it is less populated. Here, sandwiched between a warehouse and a storage shed, you discover a small lodging house. A sign in the window says that there are clean rooms available and so you enter to enquire about the price. You are greeted by a woman whose almond-shaped eyelids tell you that she is from Chai, a land far away in Southern Magnamund. She tells you that a room here for the night will cost you 3 Gold Crowns, a price which also includes a morning meal.

  If you possess 3 Gold Crowns and wish to stay here for the night, turn to 183.

  If you do not, turn to 155.

  97

  Your single-handed victory forces the surviving raiders to retreat towards the port beam. But before you can reach Sergeant Dryan and his men, these raiders receive reinforcements from their ship and they begin to advance towards you once more.

  Suddenly a falling chunk of wood smashes into the deck close to where you are standing. When you look up, you see that the giant spider is now tearing at the mast and topsail with its fanged maw. Fearful of what may happen if it should be allowed to direct its power upon the decks below, you decide that you must confront the creature and defeat it as swiftly as you are able. Using your natural Kai speed and agility, you scale the mainmast and approach the giant spider from below. At first it fails to notice you, but when you pause for a few moments to unsheathe your weapon, it dips its head and you find yourself staring into a pair of ghastly green eyes. It rubs its forelegs together and sparks appear, warning you that it is preparing to launch a bolt of energy. Quickly you cut free a trailing rope and swing away from the mainmast just in time to avoid being burnt to a cinder when it launches its burst of crackling blue fire. Your swift action saves you, but as the momentum of your swing carries you back towards the mast, so you see that the creature is preparing a new form of attack.

  It waits until you come to rest in the rigging, and then it ejects a stream of grey fluid from a sac located below its gaping maw. This fluid hardens as it passes through the air, transforming int
o several long and sticky strands which threaten to engulf and imprison you in a gluey web.

  If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use this Discipline now, turn to 303.

  If you possess Elementalism and wish to use it, turn to 210.

  If you possess neither of these Grand Master Disciplines, or if you choose not to use either of them, turn instead to 162.

  98

  As the great statue tumbles down the steps, you try to anticipate where it will fall so that you can attempt to leap aside and save yourself from being crushed beneath it.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, you may add 2 to the number you have picked. If your current ENDURANCE score is 20 or higher, you may add 2. If your current ENDURANCE score is 10 or lower, you must deduct 2.

  If your total score is now 4 or less, turn to 57.

  If it is 5 or higher, turn to 312.

  99

  Before long you find that you have gathered enough wood to last all night. Laden with an armful of driftwood, you return to the dunes and build a fire which will keep the four of you warm and comfortable all night, despite the chill sea winds.

  You each take a turn at keeping watch for two hours during the night. During your turn, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  To continue, turn to 249.

  100

  The Desert Jewel approaches Bisutan harbour late in the afternoon. The city itself is located upon an island in the estuary of the River Khorda and is linked to the mainland by two great stone bridges. You admire these wondrous spans from afar as the ship takes its place in a line of vessels that are waiting to dock at the crowded quayside. The magnificent harbour is full of people who have come here from the four corners of Magnamund to trade their wares. Travellers, merchants, farmers, priests, and slaves are just a few of the people you observe when finally the Desert Jewel is allowed to dock at the harbour wall.

  Kol's trading partners are already waiting on the quayside to meet the ship. They are anxious to do business with him, but the battered state of the ship following yesterday's storm does little to inspire their confidence. The moment the gangplank is lowered, they come rushing aboard to inspect the timber in the hold. Kol bids you a hurried farewell as he and his crew thank you once more for saving their lives and their livelihoods. You disembark and push your way through the busy harbour square and enter a broad avenue which leads to the heart of this teeming city. At a place called Dhanamet Square you happen upon an evening bazaar. You are mindful of your need to find lodging for the night and some means by which you will be able to continue your journey to Elzian. As you stop to look at the market and the façades of the shops and taverns which border upon it, your eye is caught by the gaily-decorated merchant's stalls and the exotic wares displayed upon them.

  If you wish to take a closer look at the market stalls, turn to 7.

  If you choose instead to try to find a place to stay for the night, turn to 236.

  101

  Quickly you unshoulder your Bow and snatch an Arrow from your Quiver. Bracing yourself against the ship's rail, you draw back your bowstring and scan the decks of the attacking ship for a suitable target. Two immediately loom into view. The first is the ghastly maw of the giant spider; the second is the head of a warrior who is standing inside the forecastle. From the way he is shouting at those around him, you suspect that he must be the commander of the enemy vessel.

  If you choose to fire your Arrow at the spider-creature, turn to 322.

  If you choose to fire at the warrior's head, turn to 170.

  102

  You use your Kai healing skills to revive the old man and calm his trembling limbs. Then you help him to sit up and, when he has regained his composure, he looks into your eyes and says:

  ‘You are one of the Kai, yes?’ You nod your head and a smile deepens the wrinkles around his mouth. ‘You possess a stone of power … a legendary stone?’ This time you hesitate, but you sense that it is a rhetorical question: the old man already knows the answer. Briefly he searches among his pillows and retrieves a leather-bound tube. He flips open one end of the tube and tips a plain-looking ring into the palm of his hand. It seems to be crafted from petrified wood.

  ‘Take this, Kai Lord,’ he says, and proffers you the ring. ‘It will keep you safe on your long journey. That which you seek to return must be delivered.’

  You take the ring and place it in the pocket of your tunic (record Temujun's Ring as a Special Item on your Action Chart). The old man smiles once more and, although no words are exchanged, you sense that he is deeply satisfied to be able to assist your vital mission.

  You thank him and leave his tent. Once outside, you walk down to the edge of the oasis to bathe your face and drink the warm, fresh water. The yellow flames of the campfire are glimmering on its surface and you pause to consider joining the travellers who are seated around it, enjoying the show.

  If you decide to go to the campfire, turn to 40.

  If you choose to retire to the empty carriage and get some sleep, turn instead to 290.

  103

  As you place your offering upon the platform, you are refreshed by a surge of vitality and your mind is filled with an unexpected sense of calm and well-being.

  You may restore 6 lost ENDURANCE points for each Special Item that you place upon the offerings platform (you may not offer either the Moonstone or the Iron Skull).

  When you have made the appropriate adjustments to your Action Chart, you can continue by turning to 34.

  104

  Oriah returns to her cabin to rest whilst you stay on deck and help tend the wounded crewmen. Using your Kai curing skills, you do what you can to ease their pain and repair their battle-wounds. To your great surprise, many of the injured men's wounds heal at a remarkable speed. In fact some recover so quickly that you acquire something of a reputation among them as a miracle worker. Secretly, though, you suspect that it is the presence of the Moonstone that is the real reason for their miraculous return to good health.

  It is shortly before dusk when Captain Raker brings his damaged ship limping into the harbour of Cape Kabar, and moors her alongside its red-stoned quay. Leaving Paoll in charge, he goes ashore to seek out his shipwright friend, Kimpil, at the harbour shipyard. Soon he returns with a wizened old man and together they inspect the damaged hull.

  ‘It's goin' to take a month to fix 'er right,’ says the captain on his return. ‘Kimpil says her keel's damaged and she'll have to go into dry-dock. It's goin' to be a long job.’

  After talking with Raker and the others, you decide that you cannot stay here for a month while the ship is being repaired. Oriah, too, is anxious to leave for she fears that Cape Kabar is the first place Sesketera will look for her when he hears of his brother's death. Oriah has friends in Bisutan whom she trusts and she suggests that you travel there together. She is confident that her friends can help you to reach Elzian quickly and safely.

  In addition to Oriah, you also agree to take with you the three surviving marines — Ernan, Sligh, and Oswin. Ernan has visited Cape Kabar once before and he knows the route south to Bisutan. He also knows of some stables on the far side of the town where the five of you could acquire some horses. You agree that it would be worth a visit.

  Before you bid farewell to Raker and his crew, you share one last meal with them. (Unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.)

  To continue, turn to 181.

  105

  Warily the Vakeros move forward to surround you, their spears held out at arm's length as if they are afraid to come too close. Their officer, a young lieutenant, steps a pace nearer and you can see that he is sweating profusely. It is a warm night but this is not the reason he is perspiring: he is terrified. Then he recognizes the style of your tunic, and when he looks carefully at your face you see the whipcord tension in his body begin to ease.

&nbs
p; ‘You're a Kai?’

  ‘Yes,’ you reply. ‘I'm a journeyman bound for Elzian.’

  The Vakeros signals to his men and expertly they couch their spears and form up into a column in readiness to march.

  ‘Well, Master Kai,’ says the lieutenant, ‘you're going to have to come with us.’

  Turn to 285.

  106

  You find your room at the end of a corridor on the first floor and you are pleased to discover that it is clean and well furnished. You fall asleep within minutes of lying down upon the feather-mattressed bed, yet it seems as if you have barely closed your eyes when, two hours later, you are rudely awoken by noises in the taproom below. The clomp of iron-shod boots and the hubbub of angry voices make you leap from your bed and reach for your weapon. Quickly you gather your equipment and cloak and ease open the door to your room. Outside in the corridor you see your companions; like you they have been awoken by the commotion downstairs.

  ‘It's the City Guard,’ whispers Oswin, who is peering down the stairwell. Then the tavern-keeper appears and he comes rushing up the stairs. His face is red as a beetroot and he is shaking with fright. ‘The … the Funtal of Bir Rabalou's men are here,’ he says, his voice wavering. ‘They've had word that there are assassins abroad in the harbour and they're checking all foreigners. You're to go down to the taproom at once.’