land on the stone floor. Your quick reactions have saved your life, for a vast granite block has fallen from the ceiling and crushed the steps, just in front of the lockplate!
Shaken but still in one piece, you get to your feet. A shaft of dull grey light is seeping into the chamber from above, where the stone block was. Through a hole in the ceiling you can see a tangle of graveweed and the cloudy sky above. You clamber out of the tomb and head for the arched south gate of the necropolis as fast as possible. The pointed log walls of the city's outer defence works are now visible.
Turn to 61 .
318
Two soldiers and a sergeant run towards you, their crossbows aimed at your head. As they get nearer, they recognize your Kai cloak and a look of relief spreads across their faces.
‘My Lord,’ says the sergeant, ‘where are the other Kai Masters? We are in desperate need of their wisdom. The Darklords press us most cruelly and our casualties are high.’
You inform the brave soldier of the fate of your kinsmen, and the urgency of your mission to see the King. He takes you back to the barges where an officer accompanies you on horseback towards the high walls and the main gate of Holmgard.
Turn to 129 .
319
The slimy creature lets out a long, ghastly death-cry and collapses. You are near to panic and scramble to your feet, grabbing what you think to be your belt from the jaws of the dead beast. You can see light in the far distance, and you sprint for it as fast as you can. When you finally emerge into the daylight, you fall onto the leafy ground and fight for breath in painful gasps.
Slowly sitting upright, you notice that you are still wearing your belt — you had not lost it after all. What you grabbed from the jaw of the Burrowcrawler was a leather strap with a small pouch and a sheathed Dagger halfway along it. You break open the clasp to find it contains 20 Gold Crowns. You may take both the Dagger and the Crowns if you are able to.
Feeling a little better now, you gather your Equipment together and push on eastwards into the forest.
Turn to 157 .
320
As you race across the open field towards the wood, a Kraan dives at you and claws your arm. Before you can fight back, it has flown off again, shrieking with cold malice.
You enter the wood, but you have lost 2 ENDURANCE points.
Turn to 264 .
321
You walk for nearly an hour along the twisting river's edge. Beyond the next turn you can hear the faint noise of battle. You carefully climb a steep hillock to get a better view of the area.
Turn to 273 .
323
From the top of the tower you can see above the trees in all directions. Far to the north, a column of jet-black smoke rises high into the sky. Small orange tongues of flame flicker at its base. Your heart sinks as you realize that the port of Toran is ablaze. From the southwest, the wind carries the noise of battle. It is close; no more than five miles at most.
On the floor of the watchtower is a large oblong box.
If you wish to open this box, turn to 290 .
If you would prefer to descend the ladder and leave the tower, taking care to use only the good rungs, turn to 140 .
324
You pull up your hood and drop down behind the rocks that litter the mouth of the cave. Holding your breath, you curl up into a tight ball, and completely cover yourself with your green cloak. Only a few minutes later the Giaks clamber over the rocky ledge outside, their evil yellow eyes furtively searching every crevice of the hillside.
Then cursing in their strange tongue, they leave the ledge and start to climb towards the peak. You silently thank your old Masters for teaching you the Kai Discipline of Camouflage — it has probably saved your life on this occasion.
If you wish to explore the cave, turn to 33 .
If you wish to leave and descend the hill in case the Giaks return, turn to 248 .
325
Upon seeing you emerge from the woods, the Giak officer shouts ‘Ogot! Ogot!’ to his cowering troops, who flee the ruins
Shaken but still in one piece, you get to your feet. A shaft of dull grey light is seeping into the chamber from above, where the stone block was. Through a hole in the ceiling you can see a tangle of graveweed and the cloudy sky above. You clamber out of the tomb and head for the arched south gate of the necropolis as fast as possible. The pointed log walls of the city's outer defence works are now visible.
Turn to 61 .
318
Two soldiers and a sergeant run towards you, their crossbows aimed at your head. As they get nearer, they recognize your Kai cloak and a look of relief spreads across their faces.
‘My Lord,’ says the sergeant, ‘where are the other Kai Masters? We are in desperate need of their wisdom. The Darklords press us most cruelly and our casualties are high.’
You inform the brave soldier of the fate of your kinsmen, and the urgency of your mission to see the King. He takes you back to the barges where an officer accompanies you on horseback towards the high walls and the main gate of Holmgard.
Turn to 129 .
319
The slimy creature lets out a long, ghastly death-cry and collapses. You are near to panic and scramble to your feet, grabbing what you think to be your belt from the jaws of the dead beast. You can see light in the far distance, and you sprint for it as fast as you can. When you finally emerge into the daylight, you fall onto the leafy ground and fight for breath in painful gasps.
Slowly sitting upright, you notice that you are still wearing your belt — you had not lost it after all. What you grabbed from the jaw of the Burrowcrawler was a leather strap with a small pouch and a sheathed Dagger halfway along it. You break open the clasp to find it contains 20 Gold Crowns. You may take both the Dagger and the Crowns if you are able to.
Feeling a little better now, you gather your Equipment together and push on eastwards into the forest.
Turn to 157 .
320
As you race across the open field towards the wood, a Kraan dives at you and claws your arm. Before you can fight back, it has flown off again, shrieking with cold malice.
You enter the wood, but you have lost 2 ENDURANCE points.
Turn to 264 .
321
You walk for nearly an hour along the twisting river's edge. Beyond the next turn you can hear the faint noise of battle. You carefully climb a steep hillock to get a better view of the area.
Turn to 273 .
323
From the top of the tower you can see above the trees in all directions. Far to the north, a column of jet-black smoke rises high into the sky. Small orange tongues of flame flicker at its base. Your heart sinks as you realize that the port of Toran is ablaze. From the southwest, the wind carries the noise of battle. It is close; no more than five miles at most.
On the floor of the watchtower is a large oblong box.
If you wish to open this box, turn to 290 .
If you would prefer to descend the ladder and leave the tower, taking care to use only the good rungs, turn to 140 .
324
You pull up your hood and drop down behind the rocks that litter the mouth of the cave. Holding your breath, you curl up into a tight ball, and completely cover yourself with your green cloak. Only a few minutes later the Giaks clamber over the rocky ledge outside, their evil yellow eyes furtively searching every crevice of the hillside.
Then cursing in their strange tongue, they leave the ledge and start to climb towards the peak. You silently thank your old Masters for teaching you the Kai Discipline of Camouflage — it has probably saved your life on this occasion.
If you wish to explore the cave, turn to 33 .
If you wish to leave and descend the hill in case the Giaks return, turn to 248 .
325
Upon seeing you emerge from the woods, the Giak officer shouts ‘Ogot! Ogot!’ to his cowering troops, who flee the ruins
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