You are about to finish the creature off when it changes shape into a small, furry fellow with webbed hands and feet, and a thick, heavy tail. It drops to its knees, begging for mercy.
‘Wait!’ it cries. ‘Spare me and I will give you my treasure.’
‘Where is it?’ you demand.
‘In a sunken grotto beneath the river. I will go and fetch it, if it pleases you, my lord,’ it says, grovellingly.
Agree turn to 162
Kill it turn to 701
626
Luroc leads you to the back of the villa. After one of the patrols has gone past, he throws his grappling-hook, muffled with cloth, up on to the rooftop. He clambers up the rope like a monkey, and sits on the gable, waiting for you to follow.
Make a THIEVERY roll at Difficulty 12.
Successful THIEVERY roll turn to 66
Failed THIEVERY roll turn to 104
627
As you draw nearer to the hill, dozens more rise up from behind the crest of a low mound. At the sight of you they give a roar of blood-lust and charge! There are so many of them, that you have no choice but to flee for your life.
Roll one die and add one. If the result is less than or equal to your Rank, turn to 460. If it is higher, turn to 180.
628
You struggle through the sleet and rain, pursuing the voice.
Suddenly, something explodes at your feet, showering you with hot particles of molten ore. Lose 1 Stamina point.
You look up to see a man-shaped creature of greenish, flickering light, flying through the air on a storm cloud. Its eyes are burning orbs of blue fire, and it is hurling lumps of molten metal at you. It laughs wildly, a sound like pealing thunder.
Make a SANCTITY roll at Difficulty 14.
Successful SANCTITY roll turn to 700
Failed SANCTITY roll turn to 536
629
You realize you are marooned on the Isle of Mystery. The chances of being picked up by a passing ship are remote, considering the fog bank that surrounds the isle. You have only one option – building a raft. There are plenty of materials at hand, and after a few days of hard work, you have built a serviceable raft. You push out into the waters.
Roll one die.
Score 1 or 2 turn to 422
Score 3 or 4 turn to 506
Score 5 or 6 turn to 576
630
This far north, the days are short, and the nights long.
Everywhere, the snow stretches away like a bright white blanket. To the north, the snow rises up, clinging to the flanks of the Peaks at the Edge of the World. Roll two dice.
Score 2-5 A tunnel in the snow turn to 278
Score 6-7 No event turn to 226
Score 8-12 A tower in the air turn to 385 631
You find a poor shipwrecked sailor, clinging to a piece of driftwood. Unfortunately, he has expired – still holding on even in death. It seems he was once a captain. You find his log, the last entry of which reads: ‘We set sail today with a good wind behind us. I am worried, however, that we couldn’t afford to buy a blessing from the temple of Alvir and Valmir.’
You sail on. Turn to 236.
632
You try to blow the right note. Make a CHARISMA roll at Difficulty 13. Add one to the roll if you are a Troubadour.
Successful CHARISMA roll turn to 329
Failed CHARISMA roll turn to 464
633
The streets are a maze of smoky alleys and dark passages built around a central square. The square contains a hulking mansion of dilapidated stone. A large door, with several dodgy-looking cutthroats loitering around outside, has a banner hanging over it that reads: Brotherhood of the Night.
Around the square, Thieves’ Kitchen is divided into three areas – rough, very rough, and extremely rough!
Visit the brotherhood turn to 560
Head for the rough area turn to 591
Enter the very rough area turn to 494 Go to the extremely rough area turn to 448
Leave turn to 182
634
The fishman puts his spear down, and all three of them squat down around you, and lay out various wares in front of you. It is obvious they wish to trade! They speak with bubbly squeaks and clicks that you cannot understand but sign language is enough for both parties.
They are offering two ink sacs, one mariner’s ruttier, and one magic trident (COMBAT +2). They will accept in exchange bags of pearls, silver nuggets and smoulder fish, one for each. Simply delete one of the items from your sheet and add the one you want.
When you’re finished, or if you don’t have any of the items they are interested in, the creatures leave, diving into the waters.
You return to your ship and crew. High tide comes, refloating your ship, and you sail on. Turn to 471.
635
Cross off 10 Shards. The old woman tosses some dirty old bones into a wooden bowl. She scrutinizes them and then fixes you with a beady stare.
‘Go to the High King’s Seat. You will find your answer there!’ she rasps.
You leave the wood. Turn to 280.
636
You are traversing the barren windswept peaks at the very rim of the world. To the south is the bleak vista of the steppes; north will take you to a realm only spoken of in myths.
Go north turn to 362
Go south turn to 164
637
Molhern is the god of knowledge. Here on the island, the mages worship an aspect of the god called Molhern Magister, whose domain is the magical arts.
Most of the mages of Sokara and Golnir reject the gods.
Here, a peculiar sect of mages has embraced the worship of Molhern. The temple is a single spire reaching skyward, with a great eye painted on its topmost pinnacle. A sorcerer-priest welcomes you to the temple.
Become an initiate of Molhern turn to 517
Renounce his worship turn to 621
Seek a blessing turn to 384
Leave the temple turn to 274
638
You are crawling in the grass near the general’s tent when you trigger a magical trap. A circle of black dust has been spread around the tent – as soon as your skin comes into contact with the dust, it begins to glow with a bright yellow light. You are instantly spotted by the guards and captured.
The punishment for spies and assassins is swift and immediate – death by hanging or ‘kicking Nagil’s jig’ as the expression goes. Turn to 7.
639
He embraces you and offers you a strip of jerky. You realize that, although these nomads do not speak any language you’ve
ever heard, they recognize the word fineitri as indicative of friendship. Turn to 246.
640
The tall hill where the manbeasts had their lair is deserted now.
Since you killed Chizoka of the Black Pagoda, their evil master, they have dwindled away because of their lack of leadership.
There is nothing else here.
Climb down to the shoreline turn to 688 Go west to Fort Mereth The War-Torn Kingdom 299 Go west to Fort Estgard The War-Torn Kingdom 472 Go west to Fort Brilon The War-Torn Kingdom 259
641
Your offering is rejected. Tambu is displeased! Lose a blessing (your choice), if you have one. You can keep the +1 item.
Make another offering turn to 456
Leave turn to 118
642
A darkening of the heavens heralds the gathering of the storm.
Rain is swept in sheets over your ship, and the waves rise and fall inexorably, lifting you up and then dashing you down.
Strangely, the fog that surrounds the Isle of Mystery is not dispelled by the high winds.
If you have a blessing of Safety from Storms, you can ignore the storm. Cross off your blessing and turn to 580.
Otherwise the storm hits with full fury. Roll one die if your ship is a barque, two dice if it is a brigantine, or three dice if a galleon. Add 1 to the roll if you have a good crew; add 2 if you have an excellent crew.
Score 1-3 Ship sinks turn to 608
Score 4-5 The mast splits turn to 489 Score 6-20 You weather the storm turn to 580
643
Grasslands – an infinite sea of flat plains. You begin to dream of rolling hills, and cities awash with people. Here there is only desolation. Roll two dice.
Score 2-5 A beguiling flute turn to 680
Score 6-7 No event turn to 224
Score 8-12 A ring of stones turn to 84 644
You tell Orin Telana about the tunnels you have mapped that lead through the Spine of Harkun, thus outflanking the Pass of Eagles. He is amazed at the news. He decides to send troops through the tunnels, to ambush Beladai’s army in the flank.
‘As soon as we hear that you have killed Beladai, we will attack. Not only will we catch them by surprise, and leaderless, but our assault will give you a chance to escape.’
Erase the codeword Deep and gain the codeword Dim instead. Now turn to 152.
645
A darkening of the heavens heralds the gathering storm. A ferocious wind sweeps the rain in sheets over your ship, and the waves rise and fall inexorably, lifting you up, and then dashing you down.
If you have the blessing of Alvir and Valmir, which confers Safety from Storms, you can ignore the storm. Cross off your blessing and turn to 533.
Otherwise the storm hits with full fury. Roll one die if your ship is a barque, two dice if it is a brigantine, or three dice if it is
a galleon. Add 1 to the roll if you have a good crew; add 2 if you have an excellent crew.
Score 1-3 Dashed against rocks turn to 288 Score 4-5 The mast splits turn to 358 Score 6-20 You weather the storm turn to 533
646
You have come to the long hall, painted with murals of the life of Xinoc the Priest-King. At the far end, the archway is completely sealed with a solid block of stone. Beyond it is the chamber in which you had to leave your equipment when you were magically shrunken. From this side, you notice a small triangular hole in the block.
If you have a pyramid key, turn to 528. If not, you leave.
Turn to 472.
647
Throughout a short day the sun has hovered in the west like a guttering candle, throwing long deep gullies of shadow across the bleak landscape. Now it dips lower, grazing the horizon, and frost starts to speckle the ground.
In the gathering twilight you see a band of nomads about four hundred strong. They ride on beasts that at a distance resemble bulls, but as they get closer you see their muzzles are like broad hairy parodies of human faces.
The outriders dismount, glaring at you. You see the nomads’
distrust of strangers in their eyes. They plant themselves between you and their wagons. Then, jabbing the ground with their spears, they start to chant a shrill song.
‘We are making the koa-kaon – the ceremony of marking the borders of our camp site,’ growls one of them. ‘Begone, outlander!’
To convince them to let you remain with them during the night you must make a CHARISMA roll at Difficulty 15 (or Difficulty 13 if you are a Wayfarer).
Successful CHARISMA roll turn to 474 Failed CHARISMA roll (or don’t try) turn to 595
648
If you have the codeword Double, turn to 189 immediately. If not, read on.
The dead nomad has red blotches all over his face and his eyes have been pecked clean by the birds.
Search him turn to 332
Leave him turn to 698
649
‘Once it was a great gathering place for the Golden Ones, the people called the Shadar. Our people never go there now, for it is cursed, the abode of ghosts and spectres. Even Tambu himself shuns it.’
With that he falls silent, indicating that the audience is at an end. Turn to 33.
650
You explain that you have an urgent message for Lochos Veshtu, the head of the brotherhood here in Yarimura from The Master of Shadows, the head of the brotherhood in Aku.
You are shown in to see Lochos, who stares at you enigmatically from behind the shiny black mask he wears. You recite the message you memorized though you don’t know its meaning. Lochos understands though and he seems agitated. He thanks you, however, and rewards you with 500 Shards.
Erase the codeword East.
You leave the brotherhood. Turn to 633.
651
You have tackled difficult climbs before. Now you know the meaning of impossibility. The rock here is as smooth as polished steel.
Make a SCOUTING roll at a Difficulty of 21; you can add 1 to the roll if you possess either a rope or climbing gear.
Successful SCOUTING roll turn to 70
Failed SCOUTING roll turn to 399
652
Musing on the victim’s unknowable crime and the reasons for such harsh punishment, you compose a ballad which you later sing to a family of nomads. They are so moved that they give you shelter, food and drink for as long as you like. Restore your Stamina to its normal unwounded score if you were injured, then turn to 52.
653
You have incurred the displeasure of Tambu, for it is his decree that only the dead shall pass through the arch. Erase the title Blessed of Tambu from the Titles box.
You descend stairs of shining black marble that lead down to a platform below.
Behind you, the stairs retract into the sheer surface of the Peaks at the Edge of the World as you descend, cutting off your route back.
Turn to 195.
654
The hut heaves itself out of the mire with a horrible sucking sound, and a voice, cracked and gnarled with ancient evil, shrills at you from inside, ‘I’ll teach you to disturb my rest, impudent one!’
Spiked thorns spring forth from the jointed legs of the hut as it begins to lumber towards you.
If you have some rope, turn to 545. Otherwise, turn to 578.
655