<data>
<p>You rise an hour before dawn. You have chosen to wear the simple clothing of a Chai countryman<ch.emdash/>a padded jacket of cinnamon-coloured cotton, apple green breeches, tan leather boots and a hooded grey woollen cloak. You don your equipment and make a final check before you leave your chambers and hurry to the parade ground.</p>
- <p>In the early predawn light, the area is alive with activity. The hum of the skyship engines makes the gravel surface of the parade ground vibrate beneath your feet as you approach the magnificent vessels. Lord Rimoah beckons you over to the boarding stairs of the <cite>Comet</cite>. He and Grand Master Blazer are awaiting you on main deck, and they both salute when you step aboard. They invite you to join them at the rail and watch the preparations that are underway on the deck of Skyfort, moored alongside. You watch Lone Wolf leading Black Hawk, Star Lynx, Steel Hand and Swift Sword in single file up the boarding steps. When they are all on deck, they turn to wave you farewell. You and Blazer return their waves and bid them good luck and good hunting.</p>
- <p>Comet is the first to leave the parade ground. The powerful hum of its engine rises steadily in pitch as the skycraft makes its ascent. As it gains altitude, so you are afforded a spectacular view of the morning sunrise. It bathes the Kai Monastery with a vividly golden light. Once the skyship is safely clear of the monastery<ch.apos/>s towers, Lord Rimoah sets a northwesterly course before handing over the helm to Bo<ch.apos/>sun Durin. With a smile, Lord Rimoah invites you and Blazer to join him in the skycraft<ch.apos/>s comfortable cabin where breakfast awaits.</p>
+ <p>In the early predawn light, the area is alive with activity. The hum of the skyship engines makes the gravel surface of the parade ground vibrate beneath your feet as you approach the magnificent vessels. Lord Rimoah beckons you over to the boarding stairs of the <cite>Comet</cite>. He and Grand Master Blazer are awaiting you on main deck, and they both salute when you step aboard. They invite you to join them at the rail and watch the preparations that are underway on the deck of <cite>Skyfort</cite>, moored alongside. You watch Lone Wolf leading Black Hawk, Star Lynx, Steel Hand and Swift Sword in single file up the boarding steps. When they are all on deck, they turn to wave you farewell. You and Blazer return their waves and bid them good luck and good hunting.</p>
+ <p><cite>Comet</cite> is the first to leave the parade ground. The powerful hum of its engine rises steadily in pitch as the skycraft makes its ascent. As it gains altitude, so you are afforded a spectacular view of the morning sunrise. It bathes the Kai Monastery with a vividly golden light. Once the skyship is safely clear of the monastery<ch.apos/>s towers, Lord Rimoah sets a northwesterly course before handing over the helm to Bo<ch.apos/>sun Durin. With a smile, Lord Rimoah invites you and Blazer to join him in the skycraft<ch.apos/>s comfortable cabin where breakfast awaits.</p>
<p>You enjoy a hearty meal together and discuss the details of your missions. The first part of your aerial voyage will take you to the small Chai coastal town of H<ch.apos/>lau. This is where you will disembark and begin your overland journey incognito to the Chai capital, Pensei.</p>
- <p>Enemy agents are known to be operating in Pensei and so it has been decided not to land you at the capital directly, for to do so would alert Zashnor to your presence and reveal your intentions. After dropping you off in H<ch.apos/>lau, located on the Chai Sea, Lord Rimoah and Blazer will proceed to the Kraknalorg chasm where his mission awaits. You will each be picked up by Comet after you have completed your quests. Lord Rimoah gives each of you a large amber gem, the size of an orange. These are tracker-gems, kindly provided by Sage Chastan. He also gives you each a small leather satchel in which to keep it. (Record this Tracker-Gem as a Special Item on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>. You keep it in its leather satchel which you wear slung over your right shoulder and around your body, so that the satchel rests on your left hip.) Rimoah tells you that the stones are beacons. They emit a power that he can detect at a great distance. By way of these beacons, he will be able to steer the Comet to your precise locations and retrieve you. Then he adds a few cautionary words:</p>
+ <p>Enemy agents are known to be operating in Pensei and so it has been decided not to land you at the capital directly, for to do so would alert Zashnor to your presence and reveal your intentions. After dropping you off in H<ch.apos/>lau, located on the Chai Sea, Lord Rimoah and Blazer will proceed to the Kraknalorg chasm where his mission awaits. You will each be picked up by <cite>Comet</cite> after you have completed your quests. Lord Rimoah gives each of you a large amber gem, the size of an orange. These are tracker-gems, kindly provided by Sage Chastan. He also gives you each a small leather satchel in which to keep it. (Record this Tracker-Gem as a Special Item on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>. You keep it in its leather satchel which you wear slung over your right shoulder and around your body, so that the satchel rests on your left hip.) Rimoah tells you that the stones are beacons. They emit a power that he can detect at a great distance. By way of these beacons, he will be able to steer the <cite>Comet</cite> to your precise locations and retrieve you. Then he adds a few cautionary words:</p>
<p><quote>Be sure you do not part company with your tracker-gem. Look after it and it will look after you.</quote></p>
<p>Rimoah tells you that the first part of the voyage, to your drop-off point at H<ch.apos/>lau, will take six hours. You are expecting to arrive there at noon. A guide will be waiting for you at a clearing located a mile to the east of the coastal town. His name is Anseng. Lord Rimoah says that you could not wish for a better guide.</p>
<p><quote>He was once an Imperial Chai Guard Captain, and now, in early retirement, he is one of a network of brave agents who provide us with reliable information about our enemies, most especially their troop strengths and dispositions. He will take you directly to Pensei for an audience with Khea-khan Lao Tin. You are to collect the Eye of Agarash and leave the city. Head south towards the coastal city of Dwala. I will return to Chai at dusk of the sixth day hence. So long as you still possess your tracker-gem, I will find you and bring you back to the monastery, safe and sure.</quote></p>
<p>You are reassured by Rimoah<ch.apos/>s plan. Yet you know that so much depends upon you retrieving the Eye of Agarash before Zashnor and his ravenous army reaches Pensei.</p>
- <p>Three hours after leaving the Isle of Lorn, the Comet runs into heavy weather over the Mythenian Sea. Bo<ch.apos/>sun Durin commands the crew to secure the decks for a rough passage. Once their duties are completed, they hurry below deck to the safety of their quarters. The bo<ch.apos/>sun is expecting to be clear of the storm and back on course within the hour. Yet the weather does not improve; it steadily worsens. The Comet is swallowed up in a seemingly endless expanse of roiling black thunder clouds. Tremendous winds buffet the hull and the skyship is shaken vigorously from bow to stern. Lord Rimoah draws upon his great powers to create a magical sphere of calmness that encapsulates the Comet. It keeps you safe from the lightning and the tremendous winds, but it cannot increase the speed of your passage and you are blown wildly off course.</p>
- <p>It is close to midnight, twelve hours past your expected time of arrival, when finally the tiny lights of the coastal town of H<ch.apos/>lau are first sighted in the sheeting rain. As Comet passes over the town, you see that it has been badly damaged by the storm. Many of the dwellings have lost their roofs and its colourful fleet of fishing boats lies smashed and scattered along the shoreline. On the outskirts of the battered town, Lord Rimoah orders Bo<ch.apos/>sun Durin to slow the skyship to a halt. Below its keel, you look down upon a clearing in the toa and Chai pine trees which is bisected by a muddy road. This area is illuminated sporadically by flashes of lightning. A solitary male figure stands in the middle of this grassy, storm-swept clearing. He is clad in a wide-brimmed peasant<ch.apos/>s hat, a hooded rain cape, and he is holding aloft a Chai lantern which gives off a pale yellowy light.</p>
+ <p>Three hours after leaving the Isle of Lorn, the <cite>Comet</cite> runs into heavy weather over the Mythenian Sea. Bo<ch.apos/>sun Durin commands the crew to secure the decks for a rough passage. Once their duties are completed, they hurry below deck to the safety of their quarters. The bo<ch.apos/>sun is expecting to be clear of the storm and back on course within the hour. Yet the weather does not improve; it steadily worsens. The <cite>Comet</cite> is swallowed up in a seemingly endless expanse of roiling black thunder clouds. Tremendous winds buffet the hull and the skyship is shaken vigorously from bow to stern. Lord Rimoah draws upon his great powers to create a magical sphere of calmness that encapsulates the <cite>Comet</cite>. It keeps you safe from the lightning and the tremendous winds, but it cannot increase the speed of your passage and you are blown wildly off course.</p>
+ <p>It is close to midnight, twelve hours past your expected time of arrival, when finally the tiny lights of the coastal town of H<ch.apos/>lau are first sighted in the sheeting rain. As <cite>Comet</cite> passes over the town, you see that it has been badly damaged by the storm. Many of the dwellings have lost their roofs and its colourful fleet of fishing boats lies smashed and scattered along the shoreline. On the outskirts of the battered town, Lord Rimoah orders Bo<ch.apos/>sun Durin to slow the skyship to a halt. Below its keel, you look down upon a clearing in the toa and Chai pine trees which is bisected by a muddy road. This area is illuminated sporadically by flashes of lightning. A solitary male figure stands in the middle of this grassy, storm-swept clearing. He is clad in a wide-brimmed peasant<ch.apos/>s hat, a hooded rain cape, and he is holding aloft a Chai lantern which gives off a pale yellowy light.</p>
<p><quote>There is Anseng,</quote> says Lord Rimoah, shouting to be heard above the noise of the fierce storm. <quote>Reliable as always!</quote></p>
<p>A rope ladder is dropped over the side and you watch with trepidation as Anseng struggles to grab the end and hold it secure. When he has a firm grip on the foot of the rope ladder, Lord Rimoah motions you to begin your descent. As you clamber over the rail, he places his hand on your shoulder and says:</p>
<p><quote>Good hunting, my lord. May Kai and Ishir be with you, always.</quote></p>
<p>You acknowledge Rimoah<ch.apos/>s gracious words with a nod of your head and commence your difficult climb down to the clearing, one hundred feet below.</p>
- <p>You are barely twenty feet from the ground when the Comet is hit simultaneously by two powerful bolts of lightning. The sphere of calmness that encapsulates the skyship is ripped open by the tremendous force of these dual lightning strikes, and the vessel is suddenly exposed to the full ferocity of the storm. As Lord Rimoah and Bo<ch.apos/>sun Durin attempt desperately to regain control of the skyship, you fight to hang on to the rope ladder as it bucks and twists wildly.</p>
+ <p>You are barely twenty feet from the ground when the <cite>Comet</cite> is hit simultaneously by two powerful bolts of lightning. The sphere of calmness that encapsulates the skyship is ripped open by the tremendous force of these dual lightning strikes, and the vessel is suddenly exposed to the full ferocity of the storm. As Lord Rimoah and Bo<ch.apos/>sun Durin attempt desperately to regain control of the skyship, you fight to hang on to the rope ladder as it bucks and twists wildly.</p>
<choice idref="sect166">If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Elementalism, and if you have also attained the rank of Kai Grand Guardian (or higher), <link-text>turn to 166</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect272">If you do not possess this skill, or if you have not yet attained this rank, <link-text>turn instead to 272</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>16</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You settle yourself down at the entrance to the shelter and draw your oilskin cape close around you. The warmth of the small campfire helps to dull the persistent chill of the satchel containing the Eye of Agarash. As you stare out into the darkness of the forest and listen to the sounds of its nocturnal animals, you reflect on the events of the day. Your unexpected encounter with the Doomwolves plays on your mind. You have no doubts that Nadziran Zashnor is responsible for their presence here in Chai and it reveals to you that this evil sorcerer is a formidable adversary. If it can deploy Doomwolves this far south in Chai, you wonder how many other Darklands beasts it has at its command to let loose on Pensei and secure its capture. You feel a pressing need to inform Lord Rimoah of this, but it is now impossible for you to return to the tracker-gem and be there in time for his return aboard the Comet.</p>
+ <p>You settle yourself down at the entrance to the shelter and draw your oilskin cape close around you. The warmth of the small campfire helps to dull the persistent chill of the satchel containing the Eye of Agarash. As you stare out into the darkness of the forest and listen to the sounds of its nocturnal animals, you reflect on the events of the day. Your unexpected encounter with the Doomwolves plays on your mind. You have no doubts that Nadziran Zashnor is responsible for their presence here in Chai and it reveals to you that this evil sorcerer is a formidable adversary. If it can deploy Doomwolves this far south in Chai, you wonder how many other Darklands beasts it has at its command to let loose on Pensei and secure its capture. You feel a pressing need to inform Lord Rimoah of this, but it is now impossible for you to return to the tracker-gem and be there in time for his return aboard the <cite>Comet</cite>.</p>
<choice idref="sect282">If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Telegnosis, and have attained the rank of Sun Knight or higher, <link-text>turn to 282</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect279">If you do not have mastery of this Discipline, or if you have yet to achieve this rank, <link-text>turn to 279</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<data>
<p>Hurriedly, you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell<ch.emdash/><spell>Slow Fall</spell><ch.emdash/>but the shock of the initial impact with the trees prevents you from completing it. The spell is only partially effective; you sustain a few cuts and bruises before you land, dazed and breathless, amidst a clump of thick foliage (lose 1 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points). Fortunately, the lush vegetation and the slowed rate of descent have cushioned your impact, and you are able to rise to your feet with no bones broken. Your eyes are drawn to a glimmer of lantern light amidst the dense undergrowth and swaying trees. You shout out, hoping to draw Anseng<ch.apos/>s attention, but the sound of the teeming rain, the howling winds and the rolling thunder makes it impossible for you to be heard.</p>
- <p>You force a way through the heavy foliage and emerge from the trees at the edge of the clearing, close by the muddy road. A flash of lightning illuminates the area for a few fleeting moments, yet in that brief instant you are seen by Anseng. You are also spotted by Lord Rimoah who is clinging with all his strength to the prow rail of the Comet, high above. He tosses a small object over the skyship<ch.apos/>s gunwale and it ignites into an intense ball of green flame as it falls. It drops into the tangled grass of the clearing where it continues to burn fiercely. It is a signal flare, acknowledging that you have been seen. It also tells you that your mission must proceed as planned. As you hurry towards the sputtering flare, you see the keel of the skyship turn about and ascend rapidly into the roiling black clouds.</p>
- <p>Anseng and his lantern emerge from the trees. Your worried guide pauses for a few moments to get his bearings, then he comes running towards you as fast as his waterlogged clothing will allow. You rush to meet him at the edge of the road. The noise of the storm has grown much louder since the Comet departed, and now the ground shudders alarmingly with every step you take. The sodden soil has become dangerously unstable. Lightning bolts strike the ground, causing fissures that tear open the soft friable earth. You watch with growing dread as parts of the clearing break away and tumble into these treacherous crevasses. A wide fissure opens beneath your feet and you lose your balance. Instantly, a strong hand grabs your forearm and pulls you away from the yawning rift.</p>
+ <p>You force a way through the heavy foliage and emerge from the trees at the edge of the clearing, close by the muddy road. A flash of lightning illuminates the area for a few fleeting moments, yet in that brief instant you are seen by Anseng. You are also spotted by Lord Rimoah who is clinging with all his strength to the prow rail of the <cite>Comet</cite>, high above. He tosses a small object over the skyship<ch.apos/>s gunwale and it ignites into an intense ball of green flame as it falls. It drops into the tangled grass of the clearing where it continues to burn fiercely. It is a signal flare, acknowledging that you have been seen. It also tells you that your mission must proceed as planned. As you hurry towards the sputtering flare, you see the keel of the skyship turn about and ascend rapidly into the roiling black clouds.</p>
+ <p>Anseng and his lantern emerge from the trees. Your worried guide pauses for a few moments to get his bearings, then he comes running towards you as fast as his waterlogged clothing will allow. You rush to meet him at the edge of the road. The noise of the storm has grown much louder since the <cite>Comet</cite> departed, and now the ground shudders alarmingly with every step you take. The sodden soil has become dangerously unstable. Lightning bolts strike the ground, causing fissures that tear open the soft friable earth. You watch with growing dread as parts of the clearing break away and tumble into these treacherous crevasses. A wide fissure opens beneath your feet and you lose your balance. Instantly, a strong hand grabs your forearm and pulls you away from the yawning rift.</p>
<p><quote>Steady, my Lord,</quote> says Anseng, his rain-lashed face lit by the eerie yellow light of his storm lantern. <quote>I<ch.apos/>ll not see you buried before your mission has begun. Follow close on my heel, sire. Tread only where I tread.</quote> You nod in agreement and stay close behind your guide as skillfully he makes his way across the treacherous ground towards the tree-line on the eastern side of the clearing. Here the earth is more stable; the tangled roots of the tall trees are preventing it from breaking apart and collapsing. Sheltered from the pouring rain by the thick canopy of toa fronds, you pause to rest and recover from your dramatic return to Chai.</p>
<p>Upon checking your equipment, you are dismayed to find that the leather satchel containing your tracker gem is missing. The strap is still slung around your shoulder, but the satchel bag has been torn away during your fall through the trees. Your backpack has also been damaged in the fall, and three items are now missing. (Erase the Tracker Gem from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>. You must also erase 2 Backpack Items<ch.emdash/>the third and the fifth items you have noted on your list.)</p>
<choice idref="sect326"><link-text>Turn to 326</link-text>.</choice>
<p><quote>My eternal thanks, Grand Master,</quote> he says. <quote>Once again you have saved Chai from a great and terrible evil. You will forever be revered as a hero in our land!</quote></p>
<p>You are escorted by the Captain and his men along Xo Street to the Main Square where the headquarters of the City Guard is located. Awoken by the fighting and the ferocious lightning storm, many of the citizens are now gathered in groups in the square, chattering excitedly. They cheer and wave as you pass and the Captain and his men acknowledge their applause with proud smiles and salutes. When you reach the headquarters building you ask what has become of the Tower of Ishir.</p>
<p><quote>It has gone,</quote> replies Jian Tzu, sadly. <quote>It fell in flames an hour ago. I regret to inform you that there are no survivors.</quote></p>
- <p>The Captain makes his personal quarters available to you. Before he leaves he tells you to get some rest and he confirms that Lord Rimoah will be arriving aboard Comet as planned, at noon.</p>
+ <p>The Captain makes his personal quarters available to you. Before he leaves he tells you to get some rest and he confirms that Lord Rimoah will be arriving aboard <cite>Comet</cite> as planned, at noon.</p>
<p><quote>I will escort you to the North Gate shortly before midday and see you safely aboard,</quote> he says, and then he bids you good night and closes the door to his chambers. The physical and mental strain of your battle with Zashnor and its foul cohorts wells up and overwhelms you with fatigue. You climb onto the Captain<ch.apos/>s bed and fall immediately into a deep and dreamless sleep.</p>
<p>You are awoken mid-morning by Journeymage Honos and Herbwarden Zautro. They bring you a hearty breakfast and together you eat and talk before Captain Jian Tzu enters to inform you that it is time to leave. You ride from the headquarters building to the North Gate in the company of the Captain, Lord Honos and Herbwarden Zautro. The young journeymage carries the Claw of Naar still wrapped securely in his cape. Upon arriving at the gate, you see that it is open. Nearby, the smouldering remains of the Tower of Ishir remind you of the selfless sacrifices that were made during your long and difficult mission. You offer up a silent prayer to Goddess Ishir to cherish and preserve the souls of those who willingly gave their lives so that you might succeed. They have gone but they will never be forgotten.</p>
- <p>While you slept, the dawn of the day brought with it a dramatic change in the weather. The skies have cleared and warm sunshine is drying the saturated streets of Dwala. Lord Rimoah arrives precisely at noon. Comet appears in a cloudless sky and gradually it descends until it comes to hover just a few feet above an area of cleared ground outside the North Gate. You hear its engine powering down to a soft hum and see Lord Rimoah and Blazer awaiting you at the rail of the stern deck. They both salute you with pride. The boarding ladder is lowered and you say farewell to Captain Jian Tzu and Herbwarden Zautro before you climb aboard. Journeymage Honos has been instructed to return to Dessi by Lord Rimoah. He has been charged with the safekeeping of the Claw of Naar until Comet arrives at the High Council in Elzian, the Dessian capital. Rimoah and Blazer greet and commend you on completing your mission successfully. Bo<ch.apos/>sun Durin takes Honos to his quarters in the bow while you retire to Lord Rimoah<ch.apos/>s comfortable cabin at the stern. On approaching the cabin door, you turn and take one last look at the city of Dwala and wave a final farewell to Jian Tzu and Zautro as Comet ascends smoothly into the clear blue sky.</p>
+ <p>While you slept, the dawn of the day brought with it a dramatic change in the weather. The skies have cleared and warm sunshine is drying the saturated streets of Dwala. Lord Rimoah arrives precisely at noon. <cite>Comet</cite> appears in a cloudless sky and gradually it descends until it comes to hover just a few feet above an area of cleared ground outside the North Gate. You hear its engine powering down to a soft hum and see Lord Rimoah and Blazer awaiting you at the rail of the stern deck. They both salute you with pride. The boarding ladder is lowered and you say farewell to Captain Jian Tzu and Herbwarden Zautro before you climb aboard. Journeymage Honos has been instructed to return to Dessi by Lord Rimoah. He has been charged with the safekeeping of the Claw of Naar until <cite>Comet</cite> arrives at the High Council in Elzian, the Dessian capital. Rimoah and Blazer greet and commend you on completing your mission successfully. Bo<ch.apos/>sun Durin takes Honos to his quarters in the bow while you retire to Lord Rimoah<ch.apos/>s comfortable cabin at the stern. On approaching the cabin door, you turn and take one last look at the city of Dwala and wave a final farewell to Jian Tzu and Zautro as <cite>Comet</cite> ascends smoothly into the clear blue sky.</p>
<choice idref="sect350"><link-text>Turn to 350</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<p>The Khea-khan<ch.apos/>s bodyguard, Lieutenant Quang, enters the throne room accompanied by three men. Like you, they are dressed in normal Chai peasant attire. They address Lao Tin with the formal acknowledgement <quote>Your Highness</quote> and bow their heads in respect.</p>
<p><quote>Please, gentlemen, introduce yourselves to our famous guest</quote> says Lao Tin, motioning them towards you with a sweep of his hand.</p>
<p>In turn, the men step forward and identify themselves. The first to speak is the eldest of the three. His name is Bai and he comes from the town of Klatii. The second man is Chao, from the village of Jueng. And the third is Deng, from the port of Valus. Like Anseng, they are all native Chai and have been Watchers for the Elder Magi for more than a decade. Bai is also an agent for Lao Tin and has provided him with reliable information about Bhanar that has earned him the Khea-khan<ch.apos/>s trust. You hear that he was in Dwala three days ago when the Elder Magi instructed him to go to Pensei ahead of your arrival here. He brought Chao and Deng with him. It is he who persuaded the Khea-khan to remove the Eye of Agarash from his throne and prepare it for your collection.</p>
- <p>Lao Tin informs Lieutenant Quang that he is to accompany you when you leave Pensei. He is to ensure you are not delayed on your ride to Dwala. You tell the Khea-khan that your plans have changed since you lost the tracking stone upon arriving in Chai. Now you need to return to the place where you landed so that Lord Rimoah can pick you up from there when he returns aboard Comet.</p>
+ <p>Lao Tin informs Lieutenant Quang that he is to accompany you when you leave Pensei. He is to ensure you are not delayed on your ride to Dwala. You tell the Khea-khan that your plans have changed since you lost the tracking stone upon arriving in Chai. Now you need to return to the place where you landed so that Lord Rimoah can pick you up from there when he returns aboard <cite>Comet</cite>.</p>
<p><quote>So be it,</quote> replies Lao Tin. <quote>Lieutenant Quang, see to it that they have everything they need for the journey. You shall leave at first light.</quote></p>
<p>You bid thanks and farewell to the Khea-khan and Captain Voushan, and then follow Lieutenant Quang out of the throne room to the concourse on the floor below. Quang informs you all that rooms have been put at your disposal where you can rest before you leave the Imperial Palace tomorrow morning. Before you retire, he invites you to accompany him to the Imperial Armoury where you will be free to choose any weapons and equipment you wish for the long ride ahead.</p>
<choice idref="sect344">If you wish to accept Lieutenant Quang<ch.apos/>s offer to visit the Imperial Armoury, <link-text>turn to 344</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>You strike a dozen stout branches and sustain several cuts and bruises before you land, dazed and breathless, amidst a clump of thick foliage (lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points). Fortunately, the lush vegetation and the soft muddy ground cushion your impact and you are able to stagger to your feet with no bones broken. You lift your weary head and see a glimmer of lantern light through the dense undergrowth and swaying trees. You shout out, hoping to draw Anseng<ch.apos/>s attention, but the sound of the teeming rain, the howling winds and the constant thunder makes it impossible for you to be heard.</p>
- <p>You force a way through the heavy foliage and emerge from the trees at the edge of the clearing, close by the muddy road. A flash of lightning illuminates the area for a few fleeting moments, yet in that brief instant you are seen by Anseng. You are also spotted by Lord Rimoah who is clinging with all his strength to the prow rail of the Comet, high above. He tosses a small object over the skyship<ch.apos/>s gunwale which ignites into an intense ball of green flame as it falls. It drops into the tangled grass of the clearing where it continues to burn fiercely. It is a signal flare, acknowledging that you have been seen. It also tells you that your mission must proceed as planned. As you hurry towards the sputtering flare, you see the keel of the skyship turn about and ascend rapidly into the roiling black clouds.</p>
- <p>Anseng and his lantern emerge from the trees. Your worried guide pauses for a few moments to get his bearings, then he comes running towards you as fast as his saturated clothing will allow. You rush to meet him at the edge of the road. The noise of the storm has grown much louder since the Comet departed, and now the ground shudders alarmingly with every step you take. The sodden soil has become dangerously unstable. Lightning bolts strike the ground, causing fissures that tear open the soft friable earth. You watch with growing dread as parts of the clearing break away and tumble into these treacherous crevasses. A wide fissure opens beneath your feet and you lose your balance. Instantly, a strong hand grabs your forearm and pulls you away from the yawning rift.</p>
+ <p>You force a way through the heavy foliage and emerge from the trees at the edge of the clearing, close by the muddy road. A flash of lightning illuminates the area for a few fleeting moments, yet in that brief instant you are seen by Anseng. You are also spotted by Lord Rimoah who is clinging with all his strength to the prow rail of the <cite>Comet</cite>, high above. He tosses a small object over the skyship<ch.apos/>s gunwale which ignites into an intense ball of green flame as it falls. It drops into the tangled grass of the clearing where it continues to burn fiercely. It is a signal flare, acknowledging that you have been seen. It also tells you that your mission must proceed as planned. As you hurry towards the sputtering flare, you see the keel of the skyship turn about and ascend rapidly into the roiling black clouds.</p>
+ <p>Anseng and his lantern emerge from the trees. Your worried guide pauses for a few moments to get his bearings, then he comes running towards you as fast as his saturated clothing will allow. You rush to meet him at the edge of the road. The noise of the storm has grown much louder since the <cite>Comet</cite> departed, and now the ground shudders alarmingly with every step you take. The sodden soil has become dangerously unstable. Lightning bolts strike the ground, causing fissures that tear open the soft friable earth. You watch with growing dread as parts of the clearing break away and tumble into these treacherous crevasses. A wide fissure opens beneath your feet and you lose your balance. Instantly, a strong hand grabs your forearm and pulls you away from the yawning rift.</p>
<p><quote>Steady, my Lord,</quote> says Anseng, his rain-lashed face lit by the eerie yellow light of his storm lantern. <quote>I<ch.apos/>ll not see you buried before your mission has begun. Follow close on my heel, sire. Tread only where I tread.</quote> You nod in agreement and stay close behind your guide as skillfully he makes his way across the treacherous ground towards the tree line on the eastern side of the clearing. Here the earth is more stable; the tangled roots of the tall trees are preventing it from breaking apart and collapsing. Sheltered from the pouring rain by the thick canopy of toa fronds, you pause to rest and recover from your dramatic return to Chai.</p>
<p>Upon checking your equipment, you are dismayed to find that the leather satchel containing your tracker gem is missing. The strap is still slung around your shoulder, but the satchel bag has been torn away during your fall through the trees. Your backpack has also been damaged in the fall, and three items are now missing. (Erase the Tracker Gem from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>. You must also erase 3 Backpack Items<ch.emdash/>the first, third, and fifth items on your list.)</p>
<choice idref="sect326"><link-text>Turn to 326</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>Honos is receiving a message from the High Council. He presses the Speaking Stone to his chest and closes his eyes. Another minute passes in silence as you wait for him to conclude his mental contact with his distant elders. He is smiling when he opens his eyes.</p>
- <p><quote>I am happy to report that my message has been relayed to Lord Rimoah and he<ch.apos/>s replied most promptly. He will fly directly to Dwala aboard the Comet and attempt a landing in front of the North Gate at noon tomorrow, so long as the weather is not too severe. He has also sent a warning to you, Grand Master, that the Eye of Agarash is now known to have revealed your location to the enemy from the moment you departed Pensei.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>I am happy to report that my message has been relayed to Lord Rimoah and he<ch.apos/>s replied most promptly. He will fly directly to Dwala aboard the <cite>Comet</cite> and attempt a landing in front of the North Gate at noon tomorrow, so long as the weather is not too severe. He has also sent a warning to you, Grand Master, that the Eye of Agarash is now known to have revealed your location to the enemy from the moment you departed Pensei.</quote></p>
<p><quote>If this is so, then they will know that you are here in the Tower of Ishir,</quote> says Zautro, anxiously.</p>
<p>Song Tao uses her goodly powers to calm the Herbwarden<ch.apos/>s fraying nerves and she recommends that you all should now retire and get some sleep.</p>
<p><quote>I will pray to Ishir to grant us a break in the storm so that Lord Rimoah shall be able to land in safety tomorrow,</quote> she adds, and calls forward Jia Zhai to escort you to your room. You bid good night to the others and follow the Moon Maiden as she leads you out of the chamber and down the spiral staircase to the alcove behind the chapel<ch.apos/>s altar. She beckons you to follow her to another alcove and she opens a secret door to a comfortably appointed room with a bed and a narrow stained glass window. She wishes you a peaceful night<ch.apos/>s sleep before leaving.</p>
<data>
<p>Your return sky voyage to the Kai Monastery of Lorn takes a little over six hours. During your aerial flight, Lord Rimoah asks many questions about your mission and he prepares a detailed account which he will give to Kai Supreme Master Lone Wolf. Blazer has already given a similar report about his mission to the Kraknalorg chasm. He is proud to tell you that he, too, was successful.</p>
- <p>You arrive at the Monastery in the early evening and watch the descent to the parade ground from the stern deck of the Comet. The blessed tranquillity of the Monastery is a welcome relief after the days and nights you have spent in the heavy rains and thunderous storms of Chai. You see Skyfort moored on the parade ground below and you hope that Black Hawk, Star Lynx, Steel Hand and Swift Sword have enjoyed the same success that you and Blazer have achieved.</p>
+ <p>You arrive at the Monastery in the early evening and watch the descent to the parade ground from the stern deck of the <cite>Comet</cite>. The blessed tranquillity of the Monastery is a welcome relief after the days and nights you have spent in the heavy rains and thunderous storms of Chai. You see <cite>Skyfort</cite> moored on the parade ground below and you hope that Black Hawk, Star Lynx, Steel Hand and Swift Sword have enjoyed the same success that you and Blazer have achieved.</p>
<p>A Kai honour guard awaits you when you descend the boarding ladder to the gravelled parade ground. With pride, you acknowledge their salutes and accompany Lord Rimoah and Blazer to the Grand Hall at the top of the Tower of the Moon. Upon entering the hall, you see Lone Wolf seated upon his alabaster throne with Star Lynx and Sage Chastan standing quietly on either side.</p>
<p><quote>Welcome Grand Masters,</quote> says Lone Wolf, proudly, <quote>I commend you both on achieving your missions with honour. You have each defeated a powerful champion of evil and removed the threat they posed to the peace and stability of the lands around their mustering points. You have done well and you should feel rightly proud to have upheld the highest traditions of the Order.</quote></p>
<p>Sage Chastan approaches you and requests that you give him the Eye of Agarash. Lone Wolf nods his approval and willingly you hand over the satchel containing the bane that has burdened you all the way from Pensei. Chastan thanks you and bows respectfully to Lone Wolf and the others before leaving the Grand Hall. Lone Wolf gets up and steps away from his throne. He beckons you all to join him at his map table where he picks up the steel pointer and taps it on the Kraknalorg Chasm and the Doomlands of Naaros. He looks at you and Blazer and says:</p>
Project Aon Git Repositories / project-aon.git / commitdiff