<data>
<p>Beyond the valley lies an expanse of coarse and thorny vegetation which is alive with wild game. You stop to catch yourself an evening meal and then make camp beneath an old twisted oak (restore 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points). The night passes uneventfully and at first light you resume your ride east. Shortly before midday, you arrive at the ruins of an ancient church where a signpost, pointing to the east, says:</p>
<signpost>VANAMOR<ch.emdash/>42 miles</signpost>
- <p>You allow yourself a smile; with luck you could be the city walls by nightfall.</p>
+ <p>You allow yourself a smile; with luck you could be inside the city walls by nightfall.</p>
<p>Later in the day you see a dust cloud approaching along the road. You magnify your vision and see a dozen armed horsemen clad in ragged uniforms of green and black. A sense of unease pervades your mind; these are the colours most often worn by Eldenoran soldiers. Trusting to your Kai instincts, you steer your horse off the trail and take cover among the trees of a nearby copse.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>.</p>
<choice idref="sect81">If the number you have picked is 0<ch.endash/>6, <link-text>turn to 81</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>59</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You help the Baroness<ch.apos/>s entourage 10 set up camp beside the stream while Dorst, who considers himself something of a master cook, prepares the trout you caught earlier. To your surprise, the meal turns out to be excellent (restore 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points).</p>
+ <p>You help the Baroness<ch.apos/>s entourage to set up camp beside the stream while Dorst, who considers himself something of a master cook, prepares the trout you caught earlier. To your surprise, the meal turns out to be excellent (restore 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points).</p>
<p>During supper, you ask the Baroness what news she has heard of events in the east. She tells you that there is war between the principalities of the Stornlands, although this is such a common condition that it can hardly be considered news any more. Of distant Sommerlund she has heard nothing. After supper, she excuses herself and retires to her carriage. Dorst posts two men to guard her coach, then he invites you to play cards with himself and the remaining five men.</p>
<illustration id="bw-small11" class="inline">
</illustration>
<p><quote>Draw steel!</quote> commands Nathor, and his men respond by unsheathing their swords in readiness for combat. You focus your psychic powers at the figure and sense that it is not human: it possesses an aura of evil that marks it as a dark disciple, a magician versed in the forbidden black arts of the Nadziranim.</p>
- <p>Suddenly there is a low, concussive boom and a spiral of blue flame shoots the length of the hail, Fired from the tip of the figure<ch.apos/>s iron stave. You are its intended target and you dive to the floor to avoid being hit. The bolt ricochets off the stone wall close behind you and shatters one of the tall windows into a thousand glittering shards.</p>
+ <p>Suddenly there is a low, concussive boom and a spiral of blue flame shoots the length of the hall, fired from the tip of the figure<ch.apos/>s iron stave. You are its intended target and you dive to the floor to avoid being hit. The bolt ricochets off the stone wall close behind you and shatters one of the tall windows into a thousand glittering shards.</p>
<p><quote>Take him!</quote> shouts Nathor, and his men rush forward, but a second blast from the stave puts an end to their brave advance. All three are cut down by an arc of blue fire that leaves their corpses heaped and smouldering in the middle of the hall.</p>
<p>Nathor curses the sinister figure and it responds by uttering a chilling, inhuman laugh. Now you sense a new danger approaching<ch.emdash/>the being<ch.apos/>s sickly laughter is summoning its minions to the hall.</p>
<p><quote>Lord Nathor!</quote> you cry. <quote>We cannot prevail here. We must escape<ch.ellips/> follow me!</quote></p>
<data>
<p>In the twilight before dawn, you catch sight of the River Kinam less than a mile away to the west. You scan the surrounding landscape and note several small tracks (which lead to tiny farmsteads dotted around the vast plain) converging at a hamlet which nestles in a bend of this great river. During the past hour your horse has developed a slight limp, and a cursory look at his affected leg reveals that he has thrown a shoe. You know that unless you replace the missing shoe, and soon, he will be too lame to carry you further. Reluctantly, you decide to enter the hamlet and go in search of a blacksmith.</p>
<p>A signpost at the entrance to the hamlet announces its name: Kalma. It is a quiet, sleepy sort of place that in many ways reminds you of Dage, the Sommlending village where you were born and where you spent your early years. Near the centre of this humble village you discover a smithy where, even at this early hour, you can hear the sound of a hammer beating iron. You tether your horse to a rail alongside a moth-eaten old donkey, and call out for the blacksmith.</p>
- <p><quote>In <ch.apos/>ere,</quote> comes the curt reply. On entering you discover a tail, broad-shouldered man clad in a leather apron, busily shaping a horseshoe on an anvil.</p>
+ <p><quote>In <ch.apos/>ere,</quote> comes the curt reply. On entering you discover a tall, broad-shouldered man clad in a leather apron, busily shaping a horseshoe on an anvil.</p>
<illustration id="bw-small8" class="inline">
<meta>
<meta><title>81</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>As the riders approach, your initial suspicions are confirmed: these are unquestionably Eldenoran brigands. Their saddle-cloths bear their emblem and their steeds are laden with sacks and pouches that bulge with ill-gotten gains. You decide to remain hidden until they have passed by, but as they draw level with the copse, your horse suddenly shrieks and rises up on its hind legs, With shocked dismay you see that a harmless grass snake has coiled itself around your horse<ch.apos/>s foreleg.</p>
+ <p>As the riders approach, your initial suspicions are confirmed: these are unquestionably Eldenoran brigands. Their saddle-cloths bear their emblem and their steeds are laden with sacks and pouches that bulge with ill-gotten gains. You decide to remain hidden until they have passed by, but as they draw level with the copse, your horse suddenly shrieks and rises up on its hind legs. With shocked dismay you see that a harmless grass snake has coiled itself around your horse<ch.apos/>s foreleg.</p>
<p>The cry of your frightened horse betrays your hiding place. The Eldenorans wheel away from the road and come charging towards the copse, their swords drawn in eager anticipation of yet another easy kill.</p>
- <choice idref="sect293">If you wish to unsheathe a weapon and gel ready to defend yourself, <link-text>turn to 293</link-text>.</choice>
+ <choice idref="sect293">If you wish to unsheathe a weapon and get ready to defend yourself, <link-text>turn to 293</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect241">If you choose to retreat deeper into the copse in an attempt to evade these brigands, <link-text>turn to 241</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>104</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The sun is now above the horizon and this hamlet is slowly stifling to life. You decide to while away the next hour or so by looking around its simple shops and riverside stores. One building in particular catches your eye: it is a hail perched precariously on the end of a wide wooden jetty. You can hear an old man<ch.apos/>s voice hailing from its open doors, answered by the occasional murmur of a crowd. Inside you discover a wizened old cleric administering to a sick woman whose head is swathed with bandages. The cleric is attempting to cure the woman of her ills by laying-on his hands, but the pressure is simply making the pain in her head feel worse.</p>
- <p><quote>Charlatan,</quote> mumbles one onlooker. <quote>Old fake,</quote> whispers another. The aged cleric hears these dissenting voices and he becomes flustered. Although he may be incompetent as a healer, you sense that he is a good man at heart and so you decide to save him from the disgruntled crowd, who look as if they are on the brink of throwing him In the river at any moment.</p>
+ <p>The sun is now above the horizon and this hamlet is slowly stirring to life. You decide to while away the next hour or so by looking around its simple shops and riverside stores. One building in particular catches your eye: it is a hall perched precariously on the end of a wide wooden jetty. You can hear an old man<ch.apos/>s voice trailing from its open doors, answered by the occasional murmur of a crowd. Inside you discover a wizened old cleric administering to a sick woman whose head is swathed with bandages. The cleric is attempting to cure the woman of her ills by laying-on his hands, but the pressure is simply making the pain in her head feel worse.</p>
+ <p><quote>Charlatan,</quote> mumbles one onlooker. <quote>Old fake,</quote> whispers another. The aged cleric hears these dissenting voices and he becomes flustered. Although he may be incompetent as a healer, you sense that he is a good man at heart and so you decide to save him from the disgruntled crowd, who look as if they are on the brink of throwing him in the river at any moment.</p>
<p><quote>Hold, good brother!</quote> you say, moving swiftly through the crowd to the small stage on which he and the bandaged woman are standing. <quote>You should not be placing your hands upon this good woman<ch.apos/>s head. Surely the source of her pain stems from her aching heart!</quote></p>
<p>And with this you take hold of the man<ch.apos/>s hands and place them on the woman<ch.apos/>s chest. Her first reaction is one of shock and she starts to pull away, but when you transmit your own healing powers through the cleric<ch.apos/>s hands and into her body, the pain in her head suddenly vanishes. A smile of pure joy lights up her face and hurriedly she strips off her bandages.</p>
<p><quote>Ishir be praised!</quote> she cries. <quote>I<ch.apos/>m cured. I<ch.apos/>m completely cured!</quote></p>
<data>
<p>You sheathe your bloodstained weapon and dismount in order to search the bodies of your slain foes. Your search is thorough and it uncovers the following items:</p>
- <p>6 Swords</p>
- <p>4 Axes</p>
- <p>1 Broadsword</p>
- <p>2 Spears</p>
- <p>260 Lune (equivalent to 65 Gold Crowns)</p>
- <p>4 Backpacks</p>
- <p>5 Daggers</p>
- <p>Enough food for 12 Meals</p>
- <p>Rope</p>
- <p>Boar Whip</p>
- <p>Hammer</p>
- <p>Lantern</p>
- <p>Blanket</p>
- <p>Spyglass</p>
- <p>Sliver Seal (Special Item)</p>
+ <ul>
+ <li>6 Swords</li>
+ <li>4 Axes</li>
+ <li>1 Broadsword</li>
+ <li>2 Spears</li>
+ <li>260 Lune (equivalent to 65 Gold Crowns)</li>
+ <li>4 Backpacks</li>
+ <li>5 Daggers</li>
+ <li>Enough food for 12 Meals</li>
+ <li>Rope</li>
+ <li>Boar Whip</li>
+ <li>Hammer</li>
+ <li>Lantern</li>
+ <li>Blanket</li>
+ <li>Spyglass</li>
+ <li>Sliver Seal (Special Item)</li>
+ </ul>
<p>If you choose to keep any of the above items, remember to record them in the appropriate sections of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
<choice idref="sect340">To continue your journey east, <link-text>turn to 340</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>170</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The young man gets up off his knees and greets you with a friendly smile. He is unusually talkative for a guildsman and you soon learn that his name is Frello, and that he is a journeyman from the Silversmiths' Guild of Vanamor. He has stopped here to offer up a prayer to Ishir to protect him from <quote>bad strangers on the trail</quote>. It appears that he was robbed yesterday by some Eldenorans on the road out of Vanamor. He offers to share half a loaf of bread with you, but you decline his generosity, thanking him nonetheless. You sense that it is all the food he has. Mindful of wasting time, you bid him good luck and then continue your journey east.</p>
+ <p>The young man gets up off his knees and greets you with a friendly smile. He is unusually talkative for a guildsman and you soon learn that his name is Frello, and that he is a journeyman from the Silversmiths<ch.apos/> Guild of Vanamor. He has stopped here to offer up a prayer to Ishir to protect him from <quote>bad strangers on the trail</quote>. It appears that he was robbed yesterday by some Eldenorans on the road out of Vanamor. He offers to share half a loaf of bread with you, but you decline his generosity, thanking him nonetheless. You sense that it is all the food he has. Mindful of wasting time, you bid him good luck and then continue your journey east.</p>
<choice idref="sect19"><link-text>Turn to 19</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>188</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The woman reaches to her purse and counts out 40 silver Lune into the cleric<ch.apos/>s trembling hands, and all the while she praises him loudly for along the pain from her head. The cleric, whose name is Matho, sheepishly accepts her generous donation. Then, quite suddenly, he is swamped by the crowd of onlookers who all rush the stage at once. Each one waves a money purse and demands that he cure them as well. The frail old man is in danger of being crushed to death until you rescue him from this agitated crowd.</p>
+ <p>The woman reaches to her purse and counts out 40 silver Lune into the cleric<ch.apos/>s trembling hands, and all the while she praises him loudly for taking the pain from her head. The cleric, whose name is Matho, sheepishly accepts her generous donation. Then, quite suddenly, he is swamped by the crowd of onlookers who all rush the stage at once. Each one waves a money purse and demands that he cure them as well. The frail old man is in danger of being crushed to death until you rescue him from this agitated crowd.</p>
<p>Once safely outside, he offers you all of the woman<ch.apos/>s donation, for he knows only too well that it was your healing abilities which cured her, and not his own. (If you wish to accept this money, record it on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> as 40 Lune).</p>
<p><quote>Where are you bound for, stranger?</quote> he asks.</p>
<p><quote>The east,</quote> you reply.</p>
<p>As they draw closer, you see one of the leading horsemen raise his hand to bring the column to a halt. Your heart sinks when you realize that he has seen your horse. Rather than take the risk of losing your mount, you call out to the horseman, commanding him to continue on his way.</p>
<p><quote>Show y<ch.apos/>self,</quote> he shouts in reply, and draws his sabre. <quote>Unless you be a brigand, you have no need to fear us.</quote></p>
<p>You remain hidden for a few moments longer, using your Kai skills to determine their purpose. When you can detect no aura of evil about them, you rise from behind the bush so that you can be seen. A pale hand parts the carriage curtains and you glimpse the face of a handsome young woman with jet-black hair. Judging by the finery of her dress and the elegance of her demeanour, you assess her to be of noble birth.</p>
- <p><quote>You, Sir!</quote> she calls, with a refined Palmyrion accent, <quote>I<ch.ellips/> I know you. Please, won<ch.apos/>t you approach my coach so that I can be sure?</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>You, Sir!</quote> she calls, with a refined Palmyrion accent. <quote>I<ch.ellips/> I know you. Please, won<ch.apos/>t you approach my coach so that I can be sure?</quote></p>
<choice idref="sect201">If you wish to do as she requests, <link-text>turn to 201</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect123">If you decide to ignore her request and stay where you are, <link-text>turn to 123</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<p>(<a idref="sect75">75</a>) Replaced <quote>say, <ch.lsquot/>can</quote> with <quote>say. <ch.lsquot/>Can</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect79">79</a>) Replaced <quote>Brotherhood spell</quote> with <quote>Brotherhood Spell</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect80">80</a>) Replaced <quote>doormouse</quote> with <quote>dormouse</quote>.</p>
- <p>(<a idref="sect81">81</a>) Replaced <quote>grasssnake</quote> with <quote>grass snake</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect81">81</a>) Replaced <quote>legs, With</quote> with <quote>legs. With</quote>. Replaced <quote>grasssnake</quote> with <quote>grass snake</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect82">82</a>) Replaced <quote>Old Kingdom battle-spell</quote> with <quote>Old Kingdom Battle-spell</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect84">84</a>) Replaced <quote>Vellino<ch.rsquot/>,</quote> with <quote>Vellino,<ch.rsquot/><ch.thinspace/></quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect85">85</a>) Replaced <quote>5 arrows</quote> with <quote>5 Arrows</quote>. Put the signposts into a table.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect245">245</a>) Replaced <quote>new order</quote> with <quote>New Order</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect246">246</a>) Replaced <quote>stammers, <ch.lsquot/>I</quote> with <quote>stammers. <ch.lsquot/>I</quote>. Replaced <quote>uneasily, <ch.lsquot/>I</quote> with <quote>uneasily. <ch.lsquot/>I</quote>. Replaced <quote>Kai healing</quote> with <quote>Kai Healing</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect247">247</a>) Replaced <quote>every-decreasing</quote> with <quote>ever-decreasing</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect249">249</a>) Replaced <quote>accent, <ch.lsquot/>I</quote> with <quote>accent. <ch.lsquot/>I</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect250">250</a>) Replaced <quote>Kai mastery</quote> with <quote>Kai Mastery</quote>. Replaced <quote>Kai rank of</quote> with <quote>rank of Kai</quote>. Replaced <quote>new order</quote> with <quote>New Order</quote>. Replaced <quote>Kai monastery</quote> with <quote>Kai Monastery</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect252">252</a>) Replaced <quote>Kai mastery</quote> with <quote>Kai Mastery</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect255">255</a>) Deleted <quote>at the beginning of this book</quote>.</p>
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