Mydnight's Hero

by Joe Dever

  If you wish to attempt to enter Bakhasa by way of its west gate, turn to 311.

  If you decide to attempt entry to the city by way of the river arch, turn to 94.

  55

  It has been dark for more than two hours and your horses are close to exhaustion when finally you glimpse the city of Varedo, standing like a beacon of hope upon the northern edge of the Lucien Plain. Its towers and turrets and strong perimeter wall are constructed of a bleached white stone that glimmers eerily in the moonlight. Prince Karvas is glad to have left the province of Cavalia behind and he is hopeful that your reception in Varedo will be a more cordial one. The city, and its surrounding region, have always been loyal to the House of Oridon. Its ruler, Baron Lodamos, was a friend and martial advisor to his father, King Oridon. Karvas cannot imagine that Lodamos would ever join forces with Sadanzo whom he has always openly despised.

  As you approach the city gate, you see that the blue flags of Varedo are flying at half-mast. This sight reassures Karvas, for it tells him that the city is still mourning the passing of his father. If Lodamos had joined with Sadanzo there would be no such display of respect for the memory of the king. At first the guards refuse you entry for the gates of Varedo are kept secure during the hours of nightfall. But when Karvas demands to see Guard Captain Dunwayne, the matter is quickly resolved. Karvas and Dunwayne both attended the military academy of Seroa, where they spent seven years together learning the art of soldiering. During this time they became the best of friends. Only when Karvas was forced into exile in distant Sheasu did their friendship lapse. The Prince is delighted to hear that Dunwayne still commands the city guard of Varedo and he awaits his arrival with keen anticipation. When eventually Dunwayne arrives at the gatehouse, theirs is a heart-warming reunion. Karvas quickly tells the guard captain of your need to reach Seroa as swiftly as you are able, and Dunwayne pledges to do all he can to help you. He provides you with fresh horses and escorts you personally through the lamplit streets of the city of the citadel where Baron Lodamos resides. Using his rank and influence, Dunwayne is able to rouse Chamberlain Gant, the Baron's aide. Gant can scarcely believe his eyes when he comes to meet Karvas. He has his guards escort you to the main hall of the citadel while he goes to wake the Baron and tell him the news. Karvas bids Dunwayne goodnight, for the guard captain must now return to his duties at the perimeter wall, but they agree to meet again soon, once Karvas has been crowned King.

  The Chamberlain's guards leave you to wait for Baron Lodamos in the main hall. You spend the passing minutes admiring the many regal portraits which hang around its marble walls. They depict the kings of Siyen, and Karvas muses aloud that one day his own portrait will hang there. Then you hear the tramp of marching feet approaching the closed doors of the hall, and you and Karvas stand to attention in readiness to meet Baron Lodamos. But when the great doors swing open, it is not Lodamos who stands before you. It is a unit of armoured soldiers led by a grim-faced Marshal of the Guard.

  ‘Drop your weapons!’ he commands, as he and his men rush into the hall and quickly surround you. Shocked by this unexpectedly hostile reception, you comply with the Marshal's order and lay your Weapons on the floor.

  If you possess a Stone Dagger, turn to 36.

  If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 247.

  56

  Gingerly you push the door with the toe of your boot and it swings open to reveal a sumptuous chamber. Tapestries adorn the walls and golden ornaments gleam on lacquered shelves and sculptured wooden cabinets. You cross the carpeted floor and look out of a tall window to see a panoramic view of Cavalia, its roofs and spires gleaming in the afternoon sun. Below you can see a troop of citadel cavalry, their white pennants trailing from their lances as they ride across the drawbridge and canter away from the citadel along a broad, shop-lined avenue.

  The evil that you detected from outside the iron door is stronger now, but it does not originate from this chamber. You sense that it comes from an adjoining room which is separated from this chamber by velvet draperies.

  If you wish to pull the draperies aside and investigate the source of this evil, turn to 178.

  If you choose to search the chamber that you are in more thoroughly, turn to 288.

  57

  Your warning brings Acraban to an immediate halt, yet it comes just seconds too late for he has already stepped upon the edge of the covered pit. There is a loud crack of splintering wood and the young magician yelps with alarm as he drops feet-first through the branches which camouflage this trap.

  Fearing the worst, you rush forward to help him. Suddenly he rises out of the pit before you, lifted up by a hastily-cast Levitation spell. His magical skill and swift reactions have saved him from being impaled upon the sharpened stakes which line the walls and base of this deadly trap. But he has not escaped the stakes unscathed: he has suffered deep gashes to his legs and feet.

  Using your Kai healing skills, you tend to the magician's wounds and restore him to health. The effort required to do this costs you 3 ENDURANCE points. When he has fully recovered, you skirt carefully around the edge of this second trap before continuing on towards the clearing.

  Turn to 282.

  58

  Having finished your transactions, you and Karvas bid the trader farewell and return to your horses. Mindful that you still have far to travel, you mount your steeds and ride along Pikestaff Way, the town's main street, which leads to its fortified east gate.

  Turn to 230.

  59

  Early next morning, shortly before dawn, you meet with Karvas and Sainus and go to collect your horses from the stable. As you mount them, the old man bids you good luck and he gives the Prince a pouch containing 50 Orla, a sum that could prove useful during the journey to Seroa.

  Dawn breaks as you leave Sainus' house, and you hear a bell which signifies that the night curfew has now come to an end. You ride along the waking streets of the north quarter and enter a broad avenue that leads directly to the east gatehouse. The guards posted here are opening the great east gate as you approach, and you gallop through the widening gap and out onto the plain beyond.

  The sun shines brightly all day and you make good progress along the trail that heads due east towards the River Sero. By nightfall you have covered more than 75 miles and have reached the tiny village of Xaia. Moored at its wooden jetty is a large riverboat. This grand vessel is brightly illuminated by hundreds of coloured lanterns that are fixed to its masts and deck rails. You tether your horses to a post and then hurry along the jetty to where a thin man in a long black coat is seated at a table. He is counting out Orla and stacking them neatly in piles of twenty. Karvas asks if he may purchase two tickets to Seroa, but the man shakes his head and tells you that all the tickets have been sold. The riverboat sails within the hour and every place aboard has been purchased.

  ‘If you're lucky, you may be able persuade a couple o' passengers to sell you their tickets,’ he says, cheerlessly. ‘Them that's not already aboard are over there, drinking their fill at the Crown & Bugle Inn.’ He scratches his stubby chin and then points a bony finger towards a ramshackle tavern perched on the riverfront.

  If you wish to go to the Crown & Bugle Inn, turn to 256.

  If you wish to try to bribe the ticket seller to let you go aboard the riverboat, turn to 202.

  60

  You wheel your horse about and tug your Kai Weapon from its scabbard. Karvas catches up with you and he brings his stallion around to stand by your side. The pursuing Bakhasians have slowed to a halt less than 100 feet back along the trail, and their leader is shouting and shaking his fist at you triumphantly. You hear his coarse laughter and you watch with mounting dread as his staff grows in length and tapers to a point at one end. In a matter of seconds it is no longer a staff: it has become a heavy jousting lance. The armour-clad leader bellows a challenge, demanding that you face him in personal combat. With your only route of escape cut off by the burning tree, you accept his challeng
e. You raise your weapon and shout your battle-cry — ‘For Sommerlund and the Kai!’ — as you spur your horse towards your cackling foe.

  Illustration IV—The armour-clad leader bellows a challenge, demanding that you face him in personal combat.

  Zhakka (warrior-mage): COMBAT SKILL 42 ENDURANCE 36

  You will only be able to fight one round of combat before the momentum of your charge carries you past your enemy. If the Kai Weapon you wield is ‘Valiance’, you may apply the bonus gained due to its unique properties.

  If you sustain a higher ENDURANCE loss than your enemy in this single round of combat, turn to 40.

  If your enemy sustains a higher ENDURANCE points loss than you, turn to 297.

  If you should both sustain identical ENDURANCE point losses, turn to 143.

  61

  Prince Karvas denounces Sadanzo as a murderer and a traitor, and you show the scroll that you discovered in the Baron's safe to Phedros as proof of his treachery. The Marshal gasps when he reads the damning contract and he orders the Royal Guard to arrest Sadanzo immediately. ‘Take the traitor to the palace dungeons,’ he commands. Upon hearing this, a vast section of the stunned crowd roar their approval, and sporadic fighting breaks out as followers of Sadanzo attempt to battle their way out of the square. Marshal Phedros orders that the city gates be sealed, and then he commands the Royal Court Cavalry to hunt down Sadanzo's robber knights in every quarter of Seroa, and bring them to justice. As these noble troopers eagerly set about their task, Phedros turns to Prince Karvas and hugs him to his chest. ‘Welcome home at last,’ he says, his voice wavering with emotion. ‘Welcome home … King Karvas.’

  Turn to 270.

  62

  You glance at Karvas and give a slight, almost imperceptible nod of your head. The Prince narrows his eyes in recognition that he understands you are going to attempt to break free from these Cavalian horsemen.

  You dig your heel into your horse's flank and he suddenly rears up and scrabbles at the air with his forelegs. The Knight Bachelor pulls back on his reins and turns his steed aside to avoid being struck by the flailing hooves. At this moment, you press yourself flat against your horse's neck and urge him forwards. The knight's men bring their mounts together to block your escape, but your horse is quick to the gallop. He surges forwards and forces himself between two troopers, barging them from the saddle as he pushes through their stationary ranks. As you break out of the circle, you hear a cry and it sends a shiver down your spine. You recognize the Prince's voice. When you glance back you see that he has been unsaddled and he is now lying on the ground, helpless before the stamping steel-shod hooves of the Knight Bachelor's warhorse.

  ‘Surrender yourself, Northlander!’ commands the arrogant Cavalian knight. ‘Or your journeyman companion dies!’

  Reluctantly you rein in your horse and raise your hands. Better to surrender and live to fight another day than allow Prince Karvas to be crushed by the hooves of this arrogant knight's horse.

  Turn to 130.

  63

  The voyage to Siyen begins early the next day, an hour after first light. After saying a final farewell at Amarelda's graveside, Karvas gathers together a few of his meagre belongings, frees his livestock, and then allows himself to be winched aboard the deck of the waiting Starstrider. There are now twenty-five days remaining before Harvestmas Day and the crowning ceremony in Seroa. Acraban calculates that the voyage by air should take no longer than twelve days to complete. This news fosters a cheerful mood of optimism for it means that the Prince should arrive in good time to be able to thwart Baron Sadanzo's plan.

  As the waters of the Sheasu Channel speed past the hull, and the crew of ten young Brotherhood initiates go about their airborne duties, you accompany Karvas to Acraban's quarters where the Prince is given new clothing to replace his goatskin hides. Acraban offers him the pick of several fine costumes that befit his highborn status, but the Prince chooses instead to dress in the simple, functional grey tunic, cloak, and breeches of a Sommlending journeyman.

  ‘I vowed to Amarelda that I would one day return to Siyen,’ says Karvas, fixing the clasp of his cloak. ‘Yet never would I have expected to arrive thus — dressed as a Northlander aboard a flying ship!’

  For three days and nights the Starstrider sails eastwards across the vast uncharted forests of the Kelderwastes, a region where few men have ever set foot. Your natural curiosity fills you with a desire to learn more about this strange unexplored territory, yet you are prevented from observing its passing by an unending blanket of raincloud which keeps the timberland hidden from view. It is not until the afternoon of the fourth day that you observe gaps in the cloud cover through which you see swathes of dense forest and tracts of dark, volcanic rock. In the far distance you can hear a sound like thunder, and your keen Kai senses detect that the pressure of the surrounding air is beginning to rise and fall erratically.

  If you possess Grand Pathsmanship and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Sentinel, turn to 156.

  If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 235.

  64

  The speed and surefootedness of your Bhanarian stallions carry you and Karvas swiftly out of harm's reach. You soon reach the rubble-strewn gate of the fortress and dismount to lead your horses inside. Within its crumbling walls there stands a keep, a cylindrical structure of time-worn masonry. The upper parts have collapsed leaving huge chunks of broken stone heaped around its base. Where once stood a gate of gleaming bronze, now only a blackened hole remains. It provides access to the inner hall and you enter to take shelter from the torrential rain.

  Engravings in the ceiling and walls of this derelict hall tell you that this fortress was once occupied by the Elder Magi. Both you and Karvas are fascinated by the intricate carvings and you decide to split up and explore this hall further. In an alcove at its north side you discover a shrine dedicated to the God Kai. Clumps of wild laumspur are growing around its base and you discover enough here for 3 potions. (Each Potion of Laumspur is a Backpack Item. It will restore 4 ENDURANCE points when swallowed after combat.)

  You are examining the shrine more closely when suddenly you hear Karvas scream out in alarm.

  Turn to 177.

  65

  Quietly you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Mind Charm and focus the power of this spell upon the two Cavalians. For all their pomp and grandeur they are both weak-willed wastrels at heart, and instantly they become compliant to your mental commands. You ask them to hand their riverboat tickets to you and Prince Karvas and dumbly they comply. (Record the Riverboat Ticket on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you keep it the pocket of your breeches. You need not discard another item in its favour if you already possess the maximum number of Special Items permissible.)

  Having obtained what you require, you mentally command the two fops to forget about their plans to visit Seroa for the crowning ceremony. You order them to return to the tavern and spend the rest of the night sampling its cellar of fine wines.

  Turn to 2.

  66

  You make good use of your advanced Kai skills as you attempt to open the lock. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess a Dagger, you may add 2 to the number you have picked.

  If your total score is 3 or lower, turn to 233.

  If it is 4 or higher, turn to 279.

  67

  It has been a long time since Prince Karvas last visited Cavalia, but he is still able to remember the swiftest route from the citadel to the east gate. You ride fast and you are able to avoid the patrols of Citadel Guards that have been dispatched to hunt you down. You are anxious that your escape will be short-lived if the east gate is closed, yet fortune swings in your favour, for upon your arrival you discover a wagon has shed a wheel. Its broken axle is jammed in the threshold of the gate and a dozen guards are struggling to move it so that the portcullis can be lowered fully.

  With an exuberant shout
to the incredulous guards, Prince Karvas presses his head to his horse's neck and gallops under the spikes of the portcullis. You copy the Prince's actions and follow closely in his wake as he rides out of Cavalia along the straight road that heads due east to Varedo.

  For more than an hour you ride without stopping until your horses refuse to take another step. They are young and lack the muscle and stamina of your Bhanarian steeds, yet they are healthy colts and will serve you better than most. After they have recovered, you press on across the plain until dusk. With darkness closing, you leave the road and take shelter for the night in a small wood. During your overnight stop, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points (unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery).

  To continue, turn to 171.

  68

  You somersault helplessly across the decking until you are brought to a sudden and painful halt when you collide with a steel vent pipe: lose 5 ENDURANCE points.

  If you have survived this injury, you may continue by turning to 295.