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- <p>Ancient days they were when first the Shianti set foot upon the land that men call Magnamund. Long had they journeyed through the void, homeless wanderers in search of a pace to call their own. And so it was that when the Shianti first looked upon the face of the land, their hearts were raised in wonder. They saw a world of nameless mountains, untamed forests and lands both wild and free. Here they chose to cease their wanderings and to devote themselves to the study and appreciation of this <!--ERRTAG-RE-6265-->newfound<!--/ERRTAG-RE-6265--> land.</p>
+ <p>Ancient days they were when first the Shianti set foot upon the land that men call Magnamund. Long had they journeyed through the void, homeless wanderers in search of a place to call their own. And so it was that when the Shianti first looked upon the face of the land, their hearts were raised in wonder. They saw a world of nameless mountains, untamed forests and lands both wild and free. Here they chose to cease their wanderings and to devote themselves to the study and appreciation of this <!--ERRTAG-RE-6265-->newfound<!--/ERRTAG-RE-6265--> land.</p>
<p>To the delight of the Shianti, the race of man first emerged at this time and they watched his early struggle towards civilization with eager concern. Like gods, the Shianti seemed to the minds of primitive men. Tall and proud, shining with a radiance that spoke of magic and arcane mystery, the Shianti moved among them and with their powers of wizardry, aided man in his development.</p>
<p>As the centuries passed, man fell to worship of the magical Shianti and the power of these wizards grew even stronger. With hungry hearts they sought to unlock the mysteries of knowledge, sending their minds into other planes of existence and strange worlds beyond the sphere of the material plane. Their foresight was now unmatched and the power of their thought was mighty indeed. It was at this time that they created the Moonstone. Woven of the very fabric of the astral plane of Daziarn, this translucent gem was the greatest achievement of Shianti wisdom. It was the binding force of all Shianti magic, containing the combined might of all their wizardry, the sum of all their knowledge. The Golden Age of the Shianti had come and the Moonstone was the instrument of their dominion throughout all Magnamund. Man stood as little more than a shadow, blinded by the shining white light of Shianti glory. But, in creating the Moonstone, the unwritten laws of nature had been transgressed. For the Moonstone, like the Shianti themselves, was something outside of man<ch.apos/>s own world; it defied the natural order laid down by the creators of the Earth and disrupted the balance that the gods had designed.</p>
<p>The Goddess Ishir, High Priestess of the Moon and mother of all men, showed herself to the Shianti and spoke to them of the destiny of man: <quote>The children of this world must claim their inheritance. Their time has come and they must learn to stand alone. They are lost in their worship of you and the day draws ever nearer when they will covet the power of the Moonstone.</quote></p>
<p>The Moonstone, an artefact that possesses the combined force of all Shianti wisdom and power, was hidden on the Daziarn plane and you first had to find the invisible gateway to the Daziarn, the Shadow Gate. To help you find the Shadow Gate, you sought the Lost Tribe of Lara, a race of magical but primitive creatures called the Kundi, who possess the gift of astral vision, enabling them to see magic portals and gateways to other planes and dimensions. When Shasarak<ch.apos/>s Shadakine army first invaded the free provinces of the south, they came through the forests of the Mountains of Lara where the Kundi lived, and were constantly ambushed and delayed by the Kundi. The Kundi always eluded them, disappearing into the dense forest before the Shadakine could retaliate and, finally, in wrath, the Wytch-king burnt down the forests and forced the Kundi to flee south. No one knew where they came to rest.</p>
<p>Voyaging across the Sea of Dreams, you came first to the city of Suhn, the largest port in the Shadakine Empire. There you were befriended by a cheerful merchant named Shan Li, a widely travelled man. Your questions about the Lost Tribe aroused suspicion in Suhn and you were captured and taken to the House of Correction, the prison of Suhn, and subjected to the truthsay of Mother Magri, Shadakine Wytch and Law-giver. With the aid of the power of the Kazim Stone, she attempted to read your mind, but you were able to preserve the secret of your quest.</p>
<p>With the help of Tanith, a young and beautiful girl learning the ways of wytchcraft in the service of Mother Magri, you were able to escape from the House of Correction. With Shan as your guide, you eventually turned south and headed towards the region known as the Azanam, for it seemed likely that the Lost Tribe had settled there. However, again using the power of the Kazim Stone, Mother Magri summoned a Kleas<ch.aacute/> against you<ch.emdash/>a demon shadow that feeds upon the soul. Neither your Magical Powers, nor the might of your Wizard<ch.apos/>s Staff were able to defeat the Kleas<ch.aacute/>, and it had almost destroyed you when Tanith cast a spell and called the demon against herself. She was totally consumed by the Kleas<ch.aacute/> and both disappeared in flames. Her brave sacrifice saved your life.</p>
- <p>At the Azanam you found the Kundi and they gave you their Shaman, Urik the Wise, to guide you to the Shadow Gate. You travelled across the hostile lands of the Shadakine Empire and, close to the gates of the city of Karnali, you freed a man named Samu, a former king of the extinct tribe of the Masbate, from a Shadakine slave train. Then the leader of the rebel Freedom Guild, Sado of the Long Knife, enlisted your aid in freeing the city of Karnali from the rule of its Shadakine Wytch and her warriors, but you did not stay, for still you had to find the Shadow Gate. You journeyed on, accompanied by Samu, Urik, and a thief by the name of Hugi. On this later stage of your journey, you discovered that Shasarak was once a Shianti Master. So now you know your eventual confrontation will be with one versed in the same magical arts as yourself. You finally found the Shadow Gate beneath the wasteland of Desolation Valley, only to discover that the magic portal was guarded by a demon Kleas<ch.aacute/>, holding in its grasp Tanith, who had not after all been slain in her attempt to save you. Instead, the Kleas<ch.aacute/> had offered her to its master, Shasarak, as a prisoner. Using Tanith as a shield, the Kleas<ch.aacute/> withstood your attempts to gain entry to the Daziarn portal but at last you managed to force the Kleas<ch.aacute/> away from the Shadow Gate and stepped through to be reunited with Tanith.</p>
+ <p>At the Azanam you found the Kundi and they gave you their Shaman, Urik the Wise, to guide you to the Shadow Gate. You travelled across the hostile lands of the Shadakine Empire and, close to the gates of the city of Karnali, you freed a man named Samu, a former king of the extinct tribe of the Masbat<ch.eacute/>, from a Shadakine slave train. Then the leader of the rebel Freedom Guild, Sado of the Long Knife, enlisted your aid in freeing the city of Karnali from the rule of its Shadakine Wytch and her warriors, but you did not stay, for still you had to find the Shadow Gate. You journeyed on, accompanied by Samu, Urik, and a thief by the name of Hugi. On this later stage of your journey, you discovered that Shasarak was once a Shianti Master. So now you know your eventual confrontation will be with one versed in the same magical arts as yourself. You finally found the Shadow Gate beneath the wasteland of Desolation Valley, only to discover that the magic portal was guarded by a demon Kleas<ch.aacute/>, holding in its grasp Tanith, who had not after all been slain in her attempt to save you. Instead, the Kleas<ch.aacute/> had offered her to its master, Shasarak, as a prisoner. Using Tanith as a shield, the Kleas<ch.aacute/> withstood your attempts to gain entry to the Daziarn portal but at last you managed to force the Kleas<ch.aacute/> away from the Shadow Gate and stepped through to be reunited with Tanith.</p>
<p>Together you entered the Daziarn plane which held many mysteries and perils, the worst of which was the Jahksa, a creature created in your likeness by Shasarak. You travelled through this strange, abstract world until, at last, you came to the Trianon, a chamber floating in the void. Within the Trianon was the Moonstone and, after a last paradoxical confrontation with the Jahksa in which the lawful and magical effects of the Moonstone were used, the Jahksa was defeated and the Moonstone made yours.</p>
<p>With the Moonstone now resting in your hand, you begin the final part of your quest to defeat the Wytch-king. Armed with the might of the Moonstone, you now possess the only known power that can destroy Shasarak the renegade Shianti Wizard.</p>
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<instance class="html" src="evcation.gif" width="386" height="131" mime-type="image/gif" />
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- <p>Mastery of <!--ERRTAG-RE-30231-->this Power permits<!--/ERRTAG-RE-30231--> contact with the spirit realm. A wizard wishing to speak with the dead, or to call up a form from the spirit world, must draw a magic pentacle and enter a trance, when the use of the correct spell-chant will reach out to the Spiritual Plane. Standing within the protection of a magic pentacle, a wizard may consider himself to be relatively safe from harm. If he wishes to speak with a corpse, especially one whose former life was good and righteous, then a wizard can expect help and advice. However, contact with those whose former lives were evil or selfish can be a perilous, and often fatal, experience. Evil spirits are reluctant to return to the realm of the dead and may try to trick a wizard into freeing them into the world of the living. All spirits, good and evil, will require some service of the wizard in return for their aid. Any failure to perform this task, however difficult may result in the wizard losing his life.</p>
+ <p>Mastery of <!--ERRTAG-RE-30231-->this Power permits<!--/ERRTAG-RE-30231--> contact with the spirit realm. A wizard wishing to speak with the dead, or to call up a form from the spirit world, must draw a magic pentacle and enter a trance, when the use of the correct spell-chant will reach out to the Spiritual Plane. Standing within the protection of a magic pentacle, a wizard may consider himself to be relatively safe from harm. If he wishes to speak with a corpse, especially one whose former life was good and righteous, then a wizard can expect help and advice. However, contact with those whose former lives were evil or selfish can be a perilous, and often fatal, experience. Evil spirits are reluctant to return to the realm of the dead and may try to trick a wizard into freeing them into the world of the living. All spirits, good and evil, will require some service of the wizard in return for their aid. Any failure to perform this task, however difficult, may result in the wizard losing his life.</p>
<p>If you <!--ERRTAG-RA-23590-->choose this Power<!--/ERRTAG-RA-23590-->, write <quote>Evocation</quote> on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
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<p>You take aim and release a ball of magical fire that rains down on the hellish creature before it can strike. With an anguished wail it falls to the ground, a great smoking wound in its side. The magical attack has cost you 2 <typ class="attribute">WILLPOWER</typ> points. The demons that remain cringe beneath you now. You raise your Staff and prepare to strike again but, before you can do so, the demons vanish, dematerializing in the space of a heartbeat.</p>
- <p>Gradually you lower yourself to the ground. Unfortunately you release the power too soon and fan to the ground in a tumble of arms and legs. Tanith giggles. You clamber to your feet with a shrug. <quote>Well, it<ch.apos/>s the first time I<ch.apos/>ve ever levitated,</quote> you say, dusting off your robe and blushing scarlet.</p>
+ <p>Gradually you lower yourself to the ground. Unfortunately you release the power too soon and fall to the ground in a tumble of arms and legs. Tanith giggles. You clamber to your feet with a shrug. <quote>Well, it<ch.apos/>s the first time I<ch.apos/>ve ever levitated,</quote> you say, dusting off your robe and blushing scarlet.</p>
<choice idref="sect99"><link-text>Turn to 99</link-text>.</choice>
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</section>
<p>You peer into the wild fire at the slanted, inhuman eyes. They are closed; their penumbral grey lids a vague, tinted outline. Slowly, lazily, as if awakening from a deep sleep, they open revealing two great pools of impenetrable darkness; vast, eddying whorls of eternal shadow. The eyes beckon with a hypnotic stare, a cloaked welcome to hell<ch.apos/>s darkest and most desolate chamber.</p>
<p><quote>Who dares?</quote> demands a slithering, deathly voice. <quote>Who dares to knock upon the door to the Pit of Eternal Pain?</quote></p>
<p>You stagger back as a blast of colossal psychic power, a will of great violence and malice makes your head reel and your thoughts tumble. A burning beam of thought is thrust painfully into your mind, searching, probing, searing.</p>
- <p><quote>Who?<ch.ellips/> Who?<ch.ellips/></quote> hisses the disembodied voice. The desolate eyes are tinged with red. Savage laughter rings in your ears. <quote>Can this be?</quote> the voice crows, scornfully. <quote>Oh! but this is the sweetest, the richest, of ironies. It is the Shianti slave, is it not? Upon the errand of fools, treading the path of the foolish? And that worthless bauble of theirs, you have found it? Yes, I see that you have</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>Who?<ch.ellips/> Who?<ch.ellips/></quote> hisses the disembodied voice. The desolate eyes are tinged with red. Savage laughter rings in your ears. <quote>Can this be?</quote> the voice crows, scornfully. <quote>Oh! but this is the sweetest, the richest, of ironies. It is the Shianti slave, is it not? Upon the errand of fools, treading the path of the foolish? And that worthless bauble of theirs, you have found it? Yes, I see that you have.</quote></p>
<p>As the voice mocks, its power over you lessens. You know that you must resist now before you are enslaved forever.</p>
<choice idref="sect167">If you have 2 <typ class="attribute">WILLPOWER</typ> points, and wish to use them to resist the mastery of the being in the portal, <link-text>turn to 167</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect176">If you do not have 2 <typ class="attribute">WILLPOWER</typ> points, or do not wish to use them, <link-text>turn to 176</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>With a wild flurry of blows you triumph at last, only to be confronted with many more slavering beasts thirsting for your blood. The entire horde throws itself against you. You seem doomed to fail when Tanith<ch.apos/>s cry alerts you to a movement beyond the ridge overlooking the basin.</p>
- <p><quote>My brothers they come,</quote> shouts Kuna. <quote>We are saved.</quote></p>
- <p>Cresting the rise is along line of tall, black-skinned warriors: men of the Masbat<ch.eacute/>. They send up a loud cry before releasing a volley of javelins into the rear ranks of the demon horde, killing many. The demons are thrown into disarray. Their anguished screams echo throughout the basin as the Masbat<ch.eacute/> charge down the slope with their swords drawn. The two forces collide and a short but bloody battle ensues. Many of the demons vanish magically. Those that remain are mercilessly slain. When the battle is over, a Masbat<ch.eacute/> warrior sheathes his sword and walks towards you.</p>
+ <p><quote>My brothers; they come,</quote> shouts Kuna. <quote>We are saved.</quote></p>
+ <p>Cresting the rise is a long line of tall, black-skinned warriors: men of the Masbat<ch.eacute/>. They send up a loud cry before releasing a volley of javelins into the rear ranks of the demon horde, killing many. The demons are thrown into disarray. Their anguished screams echo throughout the basin as the Masbat<ch.eacute/> charge down the slope with their swords drawn. The two forces collide and a short but bloody battle ensues. Many of the demons vanish magically. Those that remain are mercilessly slain. When the battle is over, a Masbat<ch.eacute/> warrior sheathes his sword and walks towards you.</p>
<choice idref="sect100"><link-text>Turn to 100</link-text>.</choice>
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<meta><title>310</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>A keening howl echoes round the hall, filling your ears, skull, chest and limbs and grinding the essence of your being to dust. Shasarak<ch.apos/>s might floods along the Staff, battling against your power, but you do not let go, will not let go, as your body trembles and shudders as though it will burst.</p>
+ <p>A keening howl echoes round the hall, filling your ears, skull, chest and limbs and grinding the essence of your being to dust. Shasarak<ch.apos/>s might floods along the Staff, battling against your power, but you do not let go, <em>will</em> not let go, as your body trembles and shudders as though it will burst.</p>
<p>Add together your current <typ class="attribute">WILLPOWER</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> totals. Subtract Shasarak<ch.apos/>s score of 10 from this. (Do not adjust your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.)</p>
<choice idref="sect5">If your score totals more than 0, <link-text>turn to 5</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect2">If it totals 0 or less, <link-text>turn to 2</link-text>.</choice>
Project Aon Git Repositories / project-aon.git / commitdiff