The King of Siyen has been assassinated. Prince Karvas is the sole heir of this rich and powerful realm but he lives in exile in distant Sheasu
In Mydnight
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
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 to the citadel where Baron Lodamos resides. Using his rank and influence, Dunwayne is able to rouse Chamberlain Gant, the Baron
The Chamberlain
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
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
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
he says, cheerlessly. Them that
He scratches his stubby chin and then points a bony finger towards a ramshackle tavern perched on the riverfront.
If you
he says, cheerlessly. Them that
He scratches his stubby chin and then points a bony finger towards a ramshackle tavern perched on the riverfront.
You also discover an iron key that bears an inscription on its shank. Your Magnakai Pathsmanship skills enable you to decipher its meaning: THIS KEY IS THE PROPERTY OF THE TEHDA STABLES.
+You also discover an iron key that bears an inscription on its shank. Your Magnakai Pathsmanship skills enable you to decipher its meaning: This key is the property of the Tehda Stables
.
If you wish to keep this Tehda Key, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you carry in the pocket of your tunic. You need not discard another item in its favour if you are already carrying the maximum number of Special Items permissible.)
Stealthily you climb the steps to a flagstoned loading area that is crowded with soldiers and wagons. By keeping low and moving from one wagon to the next, you and Karvas are able to cross this concourse undetected. On the far side you discover a stone bridge that traverses the River Tehda. You hurry across it and enter a wide avenue which leads to the city
You take the key from your tunic pocket and read the inscription on its shank: THIS KEY IS THE PROPERTY OF THE TEHDA STABLES.
+You take the key from your tunic pocket and read the inscription on its shank: This key is the property of the Tehda Stables
.
With luck this scrap of iron will net us two horses,
you say, clasping it tightly. Karvas smiles and gets ready to move from behind the cart, but you tell him to stay here and wait for your signal. Better I should go alone, my lord,
you say. It will halve the risk of being seen by the guards at the main gate. Wait here for my signal and be ready to act quickly when you see it.
The Prince nods his agreement and he wishes you good luck before you go.
Aided by your Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility, you leave the cart and scurry across the square to the unguarded stables
You call upon your Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control to calm the horse as you creep towards her. Taking care to keep the mare between yourself and her rider, in case he should happen to glance in your direction, you quickly unbuckle the saddlebag and peer inside. It contains mostly personal items
You are about to return to your hiding place when you chance upon a concealed pocket at the base of the bag. It contains an iron key that bears an inscription on its shank, and your Magnakai Pathsmanship skills enable you to decipher its meaning: THIS KEY IS THE PROPERTY OF THE TEHDA STABLES. You slip the key into your pocket and rebuckle the saddlebag before you take cover.
+You are about to return to your hiding place when you chance upon a concealed pocket at the base of the bag. It contains an iron key that bears an inscription on its shank, and your Magnakai Pathsmanship skills enable you to decipher its meaning: This key is the property of the Tehda Stables
. You slip the key into your pocket and rebuckle the saddlebag before you take cover.
(Remember to record this Tehda Key on your Action Chart. It is a Special Item which you carry in the pocket of your tunic. You need not discard another item in its favour if you are already carrying the maximum number of Special Items permissible.)
Once you are hidden from view, you watch as the horseman stops to stare out across endless rows of tree stumps. Slowly he shakes his head, and then he looks up at the darkening sky and you hear him curse the failing light. In the distance, one of his comrades shouts his name and beckons him to rejoin the wagons. Begrudgingly he acknowledges the call. He slams his sabre back into its steel scabbard and returns to his horse. Patiently you watch him climb into the saddle and ride away before you rise from your hiding place and call for Prince Karvas to show himself.
You take it in turns to keep watch throughout the night in case a pursuit party is sent from Cavalia to track you down. Fortunately, the night passes peacefully and you leave the wood shortly before dawn. As the sun crests the eastern horizon, you see a signpost at the roadside which says: VAREDO
.
You take it in turns to keep watch throughout the night in case a pursuit party is sent from Cavalia to track you down. Fortunately, the night passes peacefully and you leave the wood shortly before dawn. As the sun crests the eastern horizon, you see a signpost at the roadside which says: Varedo
.
Normally one could expect to reach Varedo in three days by horse,
says Karvas, but if we use every hour of daylight and rest our mounts briefly, every hour, we may be able to cover the distance in half the time.
Mindful that you now have only nine days in which to reach Seroa to be in time for the crowning, and wary that a pursuit party could still be sent from Cavalia to hunt you down, you spend this day in the saddle riding as far and as fast as your horses are able. By nightfall, you have made excellent progress and you are confident that the threat from Cavalia is no more. You camp for the night beside a stream and, before you sleep, you use your Magnakai skills to assist the horses to recover fully from their hard day
The following day is spent crossing the seemingly endless Lucien Plain, the monotony of the grasslands broken only occasionally by an isolated hamlet or farmstead. You have no need to approach these settlements for the rich prairie yields enough game to keep you well fed while you are on the move. It also provides surplus food equivalent to 2 Meals (adjust your Action Chart accordingly if you wish to keep one or both of these Meals).
During the afternoon, you see a group of riders approaching from the north, from out of the wooded foothills of the Ioma Range. You magnify your vision and your stomach churns when you see that they are carrying spears which display the black eagle
Word of the shrine
The stables are surrounded by a high brick wall topped by a row of foot-long spikes embedded in mortar. A sign hangs above the main entrance that reads TEHDA STABLES. The tolling bells have roused the stable guards and this entrance is now heavily guarded, as are three smaller entrances set at intervals along its perimeter wall. Only one door has no armed guard posted before it, but when you magnify your vision you quickly see why this is so. It is secured by three steel bolts and a heavy iron lock.
+The stables are surrounded by a high brick wall topped by a row of foot-long spikes embedded in mortar. A sign hangs above the main entrance that reads Tehda Stables
. The tolling bells have roused the stable guards and this entrance is now heavily guarded, as are three smaller entrances set at intervals along its perimeter wall. Only one door has no armed guard posted before it, but when you magnify your vision you quickly see why this is so. It is secured by three steel bolts and a heavy iron lock.
Karvas suggests that you use the rope he found in the dungeon cell below. Taking one end, you tie a slip knot and make it into a lasso. Then you cast the loop of rope at the lever it the hope of catching it and pulling it down. Your aim is true. Yet, upon the instant that the rope touches the lever there is a tremendous flash of yellow light, and a searing wave of energy hits you in the chest and knocks you backwards down the stairs.
+Karvas suggests that you use the rope he found in the dungeon cell below. Taking one end, you tie a slip knot and make it into a lasso. Then you cast the loop of rope at the lever in the hope of catching it and pulling it down. Your aim is true. Yet, upon the instant that the rope touches the lever there is a tremendous flash of yellow light, and a searing wave of energy hits you in the chest and knocks you backwards down the stairs.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If the number you have picked is even (i.e. 0, 2, 4, 6, 8), deduct 1
Kai Weapon:
Belt Pouch:
Meals:
(128) Replaced add 5 to
with add 5 points to
. Replaced combat skill
with
. Replaced Cavalian bandits
with Cavalian Bandits
. Replaced six (or more) rounds
with six rounds or more
.
(130) Replaced exclaims,
with exclaims.
. Added a paragraph break between Crown Prince Karvas!
and Instantly the
. Replaced weapons
with Weapons
. Replaced each occurrence of prince
with Prince
. Replaced prince
with Prince
.
(131) Replaced confiscated weapons
with confiscated Weapons
. Replaced each occurrence of prince
with Prince
. Replaced each occurrence of Lodamos
with Lodamos
.
(132) Replaced Kai weapon
with Kai Weapon
. Replaced two-storeyed
with two-storey
. Replaced pathsmanship
with Pathsmanship
. Replaced sixth sense
with Sixth Sense
. Replaced 44 Ren
with 30 Ren
. Replaced arm band
with armband
. Replaced prince
with Prince
. Replaced a patrol of armed guards who are marching
with a patrol of armed guards which is marching
. Replaced darkness, and your innate Kai camouflage skills have
with darkness and your innate Kai camouflage skills have
.
(132) Replaced Kai weapon
with Kai Weapon
. Replaced two-storeyed
with two-storey
. Replaced pathsmanship
with Pathsmanship
. Replaced sixth sense
with Sixth Sense
. Replaced 44 Ren
with 30 Ren
. Replaced arm band
with armband
. Replaced prince
with Prince
. Replaced a patrol of armed guards who are marching
with a patrol of armed guards which is marching
. Replaced darkness, and your innate Kai camouflage skills have
with darkness and your innate Kai camouflage skills have
. Replaced THIS KEY IS THE PROPERTY OF THE TEHDA STABLES
with
.
(133) Replaced two kilometres
with 2 miles
.
(134) Replaced Kai weapon
with Kai Weapon
.
(135) Replaced bow shot
with bowshot
. Replaced each occurrence of arrow
with Arrow
.
(136) Replaced TEHDA STABLES
with THIS KEY IS THE PROPERTY OF THE TEHDA STABLES
in line with Section 132. Replaced drawbolts
with bolts
. Replaced prince
with Prince
. Replaced stables door
with stables
.
(136) Replaced TEHDA STABLES
with
in line with Section 132. Replaced drawbolts
with bolts
. Replaced prince
with Prince
. Replaced stables door
with stables
.
(137) Replaced lancer
with lancers
. Replaced nerves break
with nerve breaks
.
(139) Added the illustration caption You see a herd of migrating fanji.
that was missing from the first printing of the book. Replaced horizon, then
with horizon; then
.
(140) Replaced sixth sense
with Sixth Sense
. Replaced prince
with Prince
.
(142) Replaced sixth sense
with Sixth Sense
. Replaced Karvas
with Karvas
. Replaced Cavalians, here
with Cavalians here
.
(143) Replaced Kai weapon
with Kai Weapon
. Replaced prince
with Prince
.
(144) Replaced Kai curing
with Magnakai Curing
.
(145) Replaced pathsmanship
with Pathsmanship
. Replaced head, then
with head, and then
.
(145) Replaced pathsmanship
with Pathsmanship
. Replaced head, then
with head, and then
. Replaced THIS KEY IS THE PROPERTY OF THE TEHDA STABLES
with
.
(147) Replaced Dammerdon mountains
with Dammerdon Mountains
.
(148) Replaced despatched
with dispatched
. Replaced king of Siyen
with King of Siyen
. Replaced city and
with city, and
. Added the illustration caption
that was missing from the first printing of the book. Replaced prince
with Prince
. Replaced prince
with Prince
. Replaced their cheer are
with their cheers are
. Replaced Karvas
with Karvas
.
(149) Replaced shockwave
with shock wave
. Replaced mainmast
with mainmast: lose
as elsewhere in this adventure.
(167) Replaced sixth sense
with Sixth Sense
. Replaced belt pouch
with Belt Pouch
. Replaced prince
with Prince
.
(169) Replaced Kai-alchemy, and
with Kai-alchemy and
.
(170) Replaced each occurrence of prince
with Prince
. Replaced prince
with Prince
.
(171) Replaced you ee a
with you see a
. Replaced white eagle
with black eagle
.
(171) Replaced you ee a
with you see a
. Replaced white eagle
with black eagle
. Replaced VAREDO
with Varedo
.
(172) Replaced prince
with Prince
.
(173) Replaced sixth sense
with Sixth Sense
. Replaced prince
with Prince
. Replaced prince
with Prince
.
(174) Replaced double-backed
with doubled-back
. Replaced Lucien hills
with Lucien Hills
. Replaced Huntmstery you
with Huntmastery, you
.
(177) Replaced 30 metres
with 100 feet
. Replaced 5 metres
with 15 feet
. Added the illustration caption Prince Karvas is hanging by one hand to an outcrop of jagged rock.
that was missing from the first printing of the book. Replaced prince
with Prince
. Replaced Kai-alchemy, and
with Kai-alchemy and
. Replaced Rope, and
with Rope and
.
(178) Replaced combat skill
with
. Replaced compliment
with complement
. Replaced scrolls and
with scrolls, and
. Replaced sixth sense
with Sixth Sense
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(180) Replaced drawbolts
with bolts
. Replaced 30cm-long
with foot-long
.
(180) Replaced drawbolts
with bolts
. Replaced 30cm-long
with foot-long
. Replaced TEHDA STABLES
with
.
(181) Replaced prince
with Prince
.
(184) Replaced tunnel that give
with tunnel that gives
. Replaced Weaponmastery, and
with Weaponmastery and
.
(185) Replaced Kai weapon
with Kai Weapon
. Removed which you carry in your backpack
. Replaced sixth sense
with Sixth Sense
.