Our Kai Name
For these books, we get to name ourselves. Going to be interesting to have no one able to call us by name. We can come up with our own, or if no one has a god idea, I can roll up a name from the below table that they provided. Our randomly decided name is Stormheart!
Kai and Magnakai Disciplines
During your distinguished rise to the ranks of the New Order of Kai Grand Masters, you have become proficient in all of the basic Kai and Magnakai Disciplines. These Disciplines provide you with a formidable arsenal of natural abilities which will serve you well. A brief summary of your skills is given below:
Weaponmastery
You are proficient with all close combat and missile weapons. You are a master of unarmed combat and suffer no COMBAT SKILL loss when fighting bare-handed.
Animal Control
You are able to communicate with most animals and have limited control over hostile creatures. You can use woodland animals as guides and you are able to block a non-sentient creature's sense of taste and smell.
Curing
You are able to restore ENDURANCE points lost as a direct result of combat. You may restore 1 ENDURANCE point for every numbered section of the book you pass through in which you are not involved in further combat. The maximum number of ENDURANCE points that can be restored in this way is limited to 10 per adventure.
You also possess the ability to heal the wounds of others, and you can neutralize the harmful effects of most poisons, venoms, and toxins.
Invisibility
You can hide effectively in most environments, mask any sounds made during movement, and you can cause minor alterations of your own physical appearance. Also you are able to mask your own body heat and scent.
Huntmastery
You are an expert hunter of food in the wild. You possess great physical agility and a keen sense of vision (day and night). Your senses of hearing and smell are especially acute.
Pathsmanship
You are able to understand most languages, magical symbols, and hieroglyphics. You are expert at reading footprints and tracks. You have an intuitive knowledge of the compass points and can detect the threat of an enemy ambush up to a distance of 500 yards. You possess an ability to cross terrain without leaving tracks. You can converse with sentient creatures and mask yourself from psychic spells of detection.
Psi-surge
You are able to attack enemies using the powers of your mind. Also you can set up disruptive vibrations in inanimate objects and cause confusion in the minds of unsophisticated enemies.
Psi-screen
You possess strong mental defences against hypnosis, supernatural illusions, charms, hostile telepathy, and evil spirits. You are able to divert and re-channel some hostile psychic energy to your own ends.
Nexus
You can move small items by projection of your mind power. You can withstand extremes of temperature and are able to extinguish fire by force of your will alone. You have a limited immunity to flames, toxic gases, and corrosive liquids.
Divination
Your famous Kai Sixth Sense can warn you of imminent danger. You can detect invisible or hidden enemies, and you are able to communicate telepathically. You can recognize magic-using and/or magical creatures, detect psychic residues, and you have a limited ability to leave your corporeal body (‘spirit-walk’) for short periods.
New Order Kai Grand Master Disciplines
After years of martial training and study at the Kai Monastery, and by the rigorous practice of the teachings of your illustrious mentor—Kai Supreme Master Lone Wolf—you have achieved the noble rank of Kai Grand Master Senior.
Following in the footsteps of Lone Wolf himself, you have vowed that one day you will become totally proficient in all 16 of the New Order Kai Grand Master Disciplines. By doing so successfully you will share with Lone Wolf the responsibility, the honour, and the future glory of leading the New Order Kai as a Supreme Master.
Your present rank of Kai Grand Master Senior means that you have mastered four of the New Order Grand Master Disciplines listed below. It is for you to decide which four Disciplines these are. As all of the New Order Grand Master Disciplines may be of use to you at some point during your mission, pick these four skills with care. The correct use of a New Order Grand Master Discipline at the right time could save your life.
Grand Weaponmastery
This Discipline enables a New Order Grand Master to become supremely efficient in the use of all weapons. When you enter combat armed with one of your Grand Master weapons, you may add 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL. The rank of Kai Grand Master Senior, with which you begin the New Order series, means that you are skilled in the use of one of the weapons listed in the Equipment section.1 For every adventure that you complete successfully in the New Order series while possessing the Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery, you will gain proficiency with one additional weapon.
If you have the Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery with Bow, you may add 3 points to any number you pick from the Random Number Table, when using the Bow.
Animal Mastery
New Order Grand Masters have considerable control over hostile, non-sentient creatures. Also, they have the ability to converse with birds and fishes, and use them as guides.
Deliverance (Advanced Curing)
New Order Grand Masters are able to use their healing power to repair serious battle-wounds. If, while in combat, their ENDURANCE is reduced to 8 points or less, they can draw upon their mastery to restore 20 ENDURANCE points. This emergency ability can only be used once every 20 days.
Assimilance (Advanced Invisibility)
New Order Grand Masters are able to effect striking changes to their physical appearance, and maintain these changes over a period of one to three days. They have also mastered advanced camouflage techniques which make them virtually undetectable in an open landscape.
Grand Huntmastery
New Order Grand Masters are able to see in total darkness and they possess great natural speed and agility. They also have a superb sense of touch and taste. If you have chosen the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery as one of your skills, you will not need to tick off a Meal when instructed to eat.
Grand Pathsmanship
New Order Grand Masters are able to resist entrapment by hostile plants. Also they have a super-awareness of ambush, or the threat of ambush, in woods and dense forests.
Kai-surge
When using their psychic ability to attack an enemy, New Order Grand Masters may add 8 points to their COMBAT SKILL. For every round in which Kai-surge is used, they need only deduct 1 ENDURANCE point. Grand Masters have the option of using a weaker form of psychic attack called Mindblast. When using this lesser attack, they may add 4 points to their COMBAT SKILL without loss of ENDURANCE points (Kai-surge and Mindblast cannot be used simultaneously). New Order Grand Masters cannot use Kai-surge if their ENDURANCE score falls to 6 points or below.
Kai-screen
During psychic combat, New Order Grand Masters are able to construct mind-fortresses capable of protecting themselves and others. The strength and capacity of these fortresses increase as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.
Grand Nexus
New Order Grand Masters are able to withstand contact with harmful elements, such as flames and acids, for upwards of an hour in duration. This ability increases as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.
Telegnosis (Advanced Divination)
This Discipline enables a New Order Grand Master to spirit-walk for far greater lengths of time, and with far fewer ill effects. Duration of the spirit-walk and the protection afforded to his inanimate body increase as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.
Magi-magic (Old Kingdom Magic)
Under the tutelage of Lone Wolf, you have been able to master the rudimentary skills of Old Kingdom battle-magic. These arcane skills include the use of basic Old Kingdom Spells, such as Shield, Power Word, and Invisible Fist. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of Old Kingdom magic increase.
Kai-alchemy (Brotherhood Magic)
Under the tutelage of Lone Wolf and Guildmaster Banedon (the leader of Sommerlund's Guild of Magicians), you have mastered the elementary spells of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. These spells include Lightning Hand, Levitation, and Mind Charm. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of Brotherhood magic increase.
Astrology
The celestial bodies which occupy the skies above Magnamund have long been known to affect the lives of its inhabitants. Mastery of this Discipline enables a New Order Grand Master to predict and shape the future by studying the relative positions of the Sun, the Moon, and the myriad planets and stars. The number and accuracy of these predictions increase as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.
Herbmastery
Mastery of this New Order Discipline enables a Grand Master to identify readily any substance derived from living or growing organic material. He is aware of any secret uses to which an organic material may be put, and he is skilled in effecting the release of a substance's medicinal and/or magical properties.
Elementalism
This Discipline enables a New Order Grand Master to manipulate the four basic elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. By drawing upon individual elements that are available, or combinations thereof, he is able to detach, affix, increase, concentrate, intensify, remove, or accelerate this matter to fulfil a specific purpose, e.g. create a wall, hurl a rock, spray sand, remove air, intensify fire. The versatility of this Discipline increases as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.
Bardsmanship
Through mastery of this Discipline a Kai Grand Master of the New Order becomes a multi-talented performer, proficient in the use of any musical instrument. He is able to sing or chant, recite or compose tales of legend, mimic speech or dialect, and stimulate a wide range of emotions among sentient creatures. The effect and power of his bardic abilities will steadily increase as he advances through the Grand Master ranks.
If you successfully complete the mission as set in Book 21 of the Lone Wolf (New Order) series, you may add a further Grand Master Discipline of your choice to your Action Chart in Book 22. For every Grand Master Discipline you possess, in excess of the original four Disciplines you begin with, you may add 1 point to your basic COMBAT SKILL score and 2 points to your basic ENDURANCE points score. These bonus points, together with your extra Grand Master Discipline, your original four Grand Master Disciplines, your Kai Weapon, and any other Special Items that you have found and been able to keep during your adventures, may then be carried over and used in the next New Order adventure.
Improved Grand Master Disciplines
As you rise through the higher levels of Grand Mastery you will find that your Disciplines will steadily improve.
Kai Grand Master Superior
If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Kai Grand Master Superior, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:
Animal Mastery
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are able to deter predatory animals in the wild by exuding a scent which is repellent to them. In order for this improved Discipline to work effectively, a Kai Grand Master Superior must be aware of the species of predatory animal he/she wishes to deter. The scent can only be detected by the targeted animal.
Assimilance
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this skill are able to create a noise and project it up to 15 yards away from their location. The noise is akin to the rumbling sound of thunder and it can be used to distract or divert an enemy's attention. This improved Discipline requires a degree of preparation and therefore it cannot be used during combat.
Astrology
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are skilled in the use of all mechanical devices designed to measure and/or observe the cosmology of Magnamund. Such devices include sextants, astrolabes, and orreries.
Herbmastery
Kai Grand Master Superiors who have this Discipline are able to purify water, thereby making contaminated or briny water suitable for consumption. Roughly two pints of water per day can be purified using this skill alone. This daily total steadily increases as a Grand Master advances in rank.
Elementalism
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this skill are able to condense pure water out of the surrounding air. This water can be made to fall as a fine spray or as a sudden deluge. It can also be made to fill any suitable container or receptacle. Using this skill, Grand Master Superiors can create the equivalent of one large bucketful of fresh water.
Bardsmanship
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are able to utilize their musical skills to pacify an excited or hostile animal.
Equipment
Maps:
Gold Crowns: 50
You may also select five items from the list below, only two of which may be Weapons:
Quarterstaff (Weapons)
Bow (Weapons)
Quiver (Special Items) -- This contains six Arrows; record them on your Action Chart.
Flute (Backpack Item)
Dagger (Weapons)
Sword (Weapons)
2 Meals (Meals) -- Each Meal takes up one space in your Backpack.
Rope (Backpack Item)
Potion of Laumspur (Backpack Item) -- This potion restores 4 ENDURANCE points to your total when swallowed after combat. There is enough for only one dose.
Axe (Weapons)
By default, I am grabbing the bow, 2 meals, and the potion as backpack items. In addition, I am taking the quiver, and the +20 hp potion and +2 CR amulet we earned last adventure as special items.
Kai Weapons
Upon reaching the ultimate rank of Kai Supreme Master, Lone Wolf received as a reward from the God Kai many new skills and abilities. One of these skills was Kai Weaponcraft. Using his newfound mastery, Lone Wolf forged ten weapons of magical power in the armoury furnaces of the Kai Monastery. These magical weapons are reserved for the élite of the New Order Kai who attain the rank of Grand Master.
In recognition of your rank and achievement, you may choose your own Kai Weapon from the table below.
Weapon Type Weapon Name CS Unique Properties
Axe ‘Spawnsmite’ +5 versus reptilian enemies +6
Axe ‘Alema’ +5 versus undead enemies +7
Axe ‘Magnara’ +5 versus rock or stone +8
Sword ‘Sunstrike’ +5 when used in daylight +6
Sword ‘Kaistar’ +5 when used at night +7
Sword ‘Valiance’ +5 versus magicians +8
Sword ‘Ulnarias’ +5 when used underwater +9
Broadsword ‘Raumas’ +5 versus winged enemies +6
Broadsword ‘Illuminatus’ +5 when used underground +7
Broadsword ‘Firefall’ +5 versus fire-emitting enemies +8
(Note: the book gives us some leeway to generate our own, so if, say, people really wanted an axe with the underground bonus, we can do that.)
When using this Kai Weapon in normal combat you may add +5 points to your COMBAT SKILL. Each Kai Weapon has a unique property. When you use your Kai Weapon in combat against the type of enemy that matches its unique property, or use it at the optimum time or location, then you may add the higher bonus to your COMBAT SKILL. Our sword is the Kaistar.
Levels of New Order Kai Grand Mastership
Kai Grand Master Senior
Kai Grand Master Superior
Kai Grand Sentinel -- This is our rank.
Kai Grand Defender
Kai Grand Guardian
Sun Knight
Sun Lord
Sun Thane
Grand Thane
Grand Crown
Sun Prince
Kai Supreme Master
Improved Disciplines
Kai Grand Master Superior
Animal Mastery
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are able to deter predatory animals in the wild by exuding a scent which is repellent to them. In order for this improved Discipline to work effectively, a Kai Grand Master Superior must be aware of the species of predatory animal he/she wishes to deter. The scent can only be detected by the targeted animal.
Assimilance
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this skill are able to create a noise and project it up to 15 yards away from their location. The noise is akin to the rumbling sound of thunder and it can be used to distract or divert an enemy's attention. This improved Discipline requires a degree of preparation and therefore it cannot be used during combat.
Astrology
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are skilled in the use of all mechanical devices designed to measure and/or observe the cosmology of Magnamund. Such devices include sextants, astrolabes, and orreries.
Herbmastery
Kai Grand Master Superiors who have this Discipline are able to purify water, thereby making contaminated or briny water suitable for consumption. Roughly two pints of water per day can be purified using this skill alone. This daily total steadily increases as a Grand Master advances in rank.
Elementalism
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this skill are able to condense pure water out of the surrounding air. This water can be made to fall as a fine spray or as a sudden deluge. It can also be made to fill any suitable container or receptacle. Using this skill, Grand Master Superiors can create the equivalent of one large bucketful of fresh water.
Bardsmanship
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are able to utilize their musical skills to pacify an excited or hostile animal.
Kai Grand Sentinel
Grand Weaponmastery
Kai Grand Master Sentinels who possess this Discipline are, when physically parted from their Kai Weapon, able to detect its location. This power of detection will pass through solid objects, with the notable exception of lead. Accuracy and range of detection steadily increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Grand Pathsmanship
Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this skill are able to predict the weather accurately for the forthcoming 3 hours. The range of this ability is an area ten square miles around the Kai Grand Sentinel. Duration and range steadily increase as a Kai Grand Master rises in rank.
Astrology
Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this Discipline are able to detect psychic residues left on an object by its owner. The more valuable the object is to its owner, the stronger will be the lingering psychic attachment. The majority of everyday or shared objects do not retain such residues.
Herbmastery
Through their knowledge and use of common plants, Kai Grand Sentinels who have this Discipline are able to make contaminated or rotten food fit for human consumption.
Elementalism
Kai Grand Master Sentinels who possess this skill are able to charge particles of air electrically around any man-sized or smaller object. The particles will automatically discharge and cause damage should the affected object be touched or opened. Kai Grand Master Sentinels are able to handle a charged object without discharging it.
Bardsmanship
Kai Grand Master Sentinels who possess this Discipline are able to use their singing or playing to counter a hostile sonic attack. The effective use and range of this sonic defence steadily increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Our Status
Name: Stormheart
Weapon: Kaistar
New Powers: TBD
Inventory: TBD
Combat Skill: 33
Endurance: 42
Please choose one new skill and any other inventory items you want.
Overwatch: TomFoolery#1388 Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
Page 1: After a restless night spent contemplating the mission you have vowed to complete, you rise shortly before dawn and meet with Lord Zinair in the courtyard of the stables that adjoin the Dessian consulate. A horse-drawn carriage is waiting to take you both to the harbour where a sleek Suhnese clipper called The Azaktana is ready to set sail. This magnificent ship is one of the fastest vessels ever to have plied the southern seas, and Lord Zinair has commissioned it for your voyage to Sheasu. He and you will be the only passengers aboard.
The Azaktana is stocked with sufficient fresh water and provisions to enable her to complete the voyage without unnecessary delays. The weather is Zinair's main concern for the southern seas are notorious for the occurrence of sudden storms and squalls. Yet, despite his fears, the weather proves to be uncommonly mild. Aided by a strong easterly trade wind, the long voyage across the Mythenian and Vaduz seas is completed in record time.
Shortly after sunset on the twentieth day of your voyage, the twinkling harbour lights of Mydnight are sighted by the lookout. The Captain shouts an order and hurriedly his crew lower the sails to allow The Azaktana to glide silently into the harbour of Sheasu's solitary port. As the crewmen secure the ship to the quayside, the scudding clouds part and the decks are bathed by the ashen light of a full moon.
‘In thirty days' time the moon will be full once more,’ says Lord Zinair, thoughtfully. ‘It will then be the moon of Harvestmas. I pray that you and Prince Karvas shall be in Seroa to see that.’
The parting clouds have also revealed a smaller globe of light in the night sky, above the port's eastern quarter. At first you assume it to be just a star, but when you magnify your vision you see it is the stern lantern of a flying ship which is hovering 100 feet above the rooftops.
‘See, there, my lord,’ you say, and point to the orb of light.
‘Ah, yes,’ replies Zinair, smiling. ‘It would appear that Wizard Acraban has arrived before us.’
Lord Zinair's pronouncement is proved to be correct when a young man, attired in the blue and silver robes of a Brotherhood magician, comes striding along the quayside towards your ship. He has a neatly trimmed beard and long, flowing ginger hair, and his chiselled features are distinctly Sommlending.
If you have ever visited the city of Caeno (in a previous Lone Wolf New Order adventure), turn to 165.
If you have never visited the city of Caeno, turn to 299.
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Page 165: ‘Well met, my lords,’ calls the ginger-haired magician as he waits on the quayside for you and Lord Zinair to disembark. As you descend the gangplank, you are struck by the young man's resemblance to Melchar, the journeyman whom you met in Caeno during your long voyage south to the Isle of Lorn. As you step ashore, the magician greets you with a broad smile and a firm handshake.
‘I am Acraban, of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. I had not expected we would rendezvous so soon. I arrived here myself only this morning aboard my skyship Starstrider,’ he says, earnestly. His facial similarity to Melchar is so striking that you feel compelled to ask if he knows of the journeyman. ‘Why, yes, Grand Master. Melchar is my brother. On his return from Caeno he told me all about your escapades at the races there. I have looked forward to meeting you in person.’
Then the young magician excuses himself before turning away to face his flying ship. He raises his right hand and a shimmering blue flame suddenly engulfs his open palm. From the rear deck of the hovering skyship you see a flashing pinpoint of light. It is an acknowledgement of Acraban's signal to his watching crew that you have arrived.
‘Come, my lords, let us return to the Starstrider. We have much to discuss and time is precious.’
Turn to 90.
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Page 90: Lord Zinair tells the captain of The Azaktana to await his return. Then he accompanies you and Acraban along an avenue that leads away from the quayside and climbs steeply into the heart of the eastern quarter. Your first impressions of the port of Mydnight are less than favourable. In the stark glare of the full moon it seems to be little more than a brooding shamble of slate-roofed houses and reeking tenements built around a haphazard maze of narrow, rat-infested alleyways. At this late hour, few of the port's inhabitants are abroad. The only people you see are the few who dare to peek at your passing through the mullioned glass of their wretched hovels.
The avenue leads eventually to a deserted market square which commands a view over the harbour below. Here you see a large iron cage with a thick cable attached to a ring at the centre of its roof. The cable is held taut by a winch fixed to the stern of the Starstrider which hovers 100 feet overhead. The faint hum of its magical engine can be heard wavering on the warm sea breeze. Acraban ushers you into the cage and clicks shut its iron door. He tugs a cord and immediately the cage is lifted off the ground and hoisted up to the rear deck of the skyship. Here you are welcomed aboard by the skyship's crew, all of whom are young acolytes of the Magicians' Guild of Toran. Acraban takes you to his quarters located below the forward deck where he offers you and Lord Zinair some food and wine. After many months away from home it is good to taste Sommlending fare once more.
Since his arrival in Mydnight earlier in the day, Acraban has learned that Prince Karvas does not reside here in the city. To search for him now would be futile and so you resolve to get some sleep and commence your hunt for the Prince at first light. Shortly after dawn, the three of you meet again on the main deck. Acraban suggests that you each spend the day scouting the city for information that may lead you to Karvas. He tells of three places where this information is most likely to be found. The first is a large trading post, known as Grosta's Warehouse, located on the south side of the harbour. The second is the Hall of the Judicars, a base for the officers who are elected by the citizens of Mydnight to maintain law and order in their city. And the third is The Smitheries, the artisans' and tradesmen's district of Mydnight that is situated west of the quayside.
If you wish to visit Grosta's Warehouse, turn to 48.
If you choose to visit the Hall of the Judicars, turn to 321.
If you decide to explore The Smitheries, turn to 226.
Overwatch: TomFoolery#1388 Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
We already have elementalism, so make another choice Wub. We currently have:
Elementalism
Weaponmastery
Huntmastery
Alchemy
Kai-Surge
Page 48: Having decided the places where each of you will search for the whereabouts of Price Karvas, you follow Acraban to the rear deck and enter the skyship's boarding cage. Swiftly it is winched down to the market square where you are met unexpectedly by a pressing crowd of grimy-faced street urchins. They have been gathering here since dawn to stare in wonderment at the Starstrider hovering motionless in the cloudless sky above. Acraban scatters a handful of copper coins across the cobblestones and the children scramble to retrieve them. This creates enough space to allow Zinair to open the cage door and the three of you to step out. After agreeing to return to the skyship no later than sunset, you split up and go in search of your chosen destinations.
Unlike the urchins, the adult population of Mydnight appears less than fascinated by the imposing sight of the Starstrider hovering above their city. Few give it a second glance. This seeming lack of interest does not surprise you. For centuries this port has been a refuge for exiles from the many nations of Magnamund who, for their own individual reasons, have chosen to forsake their native lands. They are, by nature, a secretive community. Any overt interest in the affairs of another is often viewed with suspicion and distrust. You retrace the route you took last night and soon find yourself at the harbour. The Azaktana is still moored at the quayside and you give the crew a friendly wave as you stride along the harbour wall towards the city's south quarter.
You have no difficulty finding Grosta's Warehouse; this weather-beaten emporium occupies most of the waterfront. Its main entrance is guarded by two muscular, sallow-faced Mythenians who wear long, silky black moustaches. Reluctantly they move aside to allow you into the warehouse. Inside you are greeted by a bald, pot-bellied man with a thin smile. He wipes his hands on his striped apron and enquires how he may be of service. When you ask if he knows where you can find Prince Karvas of Siyen his smile quickly transforms into a scowl of suspicion and he takes a few shuffling steps backwards. Your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that he suspects you to be an assassin who has come here to Mydnight to find and murder the Prince. Nervously he glances at the two Mythenians guarding the door. You realize you must act quickly if you wish to allay his fears and avoid a confrontation with his men.
If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Kai-alchemy, turn to 192.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you choose not to use it, turn to 243.
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Page 192: You fix the trader with a piercing stare and quietly breathe the words of the Brotherhood Spell Mind Charm. As the spell takes hold, you command him mentally to signal to his men that all is well between you. Your magical charm instils a sense of calm well-being into the man and he begins to relax and smile. He complies with your command and the two Mythenians turn away. When you are sure that they are out of earshot, you ask the trader if he knows the whereabouts of Prince Karvas of Siyen. He tells you that the Prince does not reside in the city. There is a rumour that he lives somewhere on the remote northern coast of Sheasu. He also tells you that Karvas is not alone. Shortly after he came here, almost a decade ago, he was joined by a young woman. They were married by a sea captain in Mydnight harbour, on board the deck of his trading ship, and ever since their wedding day they have rarely been seen again.
You thank the trader for his help and leave the warehouse before the effects of the spell wear off. On returning to the quayside you set out to explore the tangle of alleyways that make up the city's eastern quarter in the hope of discovering more about the Prince and his wife. Unfortunately, your efforts garner no new information. As the sun begins to settle on the horizon, you abandon your search and hurry back through the darkening passageways towards the market square.
Turn to 308.
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Page 308: Wizard Acraban and Lord Zinair are already waiting aboard the Starstrider by the time you reach the market square. The magician orders the boarding cage to be lowered and you are winched up to the skyship. Both are anxious to hear your news of Prince Karvas' whereabouts for their own enquiries have yielded little useful information. You inform them of what you have learned—that the Prince has a wife and they are living somewhere on the island's northern coastline. Lord Zinair has discovered that Amarelda is the name of Karvas' wife, and Acraban has learned that they last visited Mydnight a year ago.
‘You have done well, Grand Master,’ says Lord Zinair. ‘The citizens of this city are a secretive breed, yet you may have prised enough from them to help us find our reclusive Siyenese Prince.’ Turning to Acraban, he says: ‘I propose we travel north at first light and commence a search of the northern shoreline. It will be easier to espy his retreat from the air than to attempt a search by land.’
Acraban nods in agreement and passes word to his young crew to prepare the Starstrider for a voyage north at first light.
Turn to 187.
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Page 187: You spend the evening aboard the Starstrider in the company of your two companions. In the comfort of Acraban's quarters, you study charts and maps of the Isle of Sheasu in preparation for tomorrow's voyage. The northern coastline stretches for more than 200 miles and it is indented with hundreds of bays and tiny inlets. Searching this territory for Prince Karvas' home will be a difficult task, yet, thanks to the Starstrider, not an impossible one.
Lord Zinair gives Acraban a small seeing-stone, one of a pair that he possesses. It will enable him to stay in contact with the elder magician and inform him when the Prince has been found. Lord Zinair has decided it is best that he go back to Suhn aboard The Azaktana. He has fulfilled his promise to Lone Wolf that he would escort you swiftly and safely here to Mydnight, and the time has now come for him to return to his ambassadorial duties. Before he leaves for his ship moored in the harbour, he wishes you both a swift, sure, and successful voyage.
‘I look forward to the day we shall meet again, my lords,’ he says. ‘Though I shall not be with you in body, my spirit will travel with you all the way to Seroa. Good luck and godspeed.’
You rise before daybreak and as the first rays of the morning sun creep over the horizon, you hear Acraban giving the order to commence the voyage north. From the forward deck rail you watch in fascination as the hovels and harbour of Mydnight slide gently away beneath the keel. The hum of the skyship's engine increases in pitch as it steadily gains speed and altitude, until soon all you can see are the hills and valleys of Sheasu whirling past far below.
The flight to the north coast takes a day to complete. Upon arriving in this remote region you soon realize that the shoreline will prove more challenging to explore than had been expected. Much of the coast is forested, and there are countless miles of undercut cliffs and steep ravines that could keep entire villages hidden from the air. For two days the Starstrider follows the coastline with all hands on lookout duty, yet no human habitation is sighted. It is not until the afternoon of the fourth day of your voyage that your luck changes for the better. An eagle-eyed crewman on the forward deck spots a tiny clearing on a wooded peak overlooking a crescent-shaped bay. You magnify your vision and see, in the centre of this clearing, a single-storey house with a split log roof, surrounded by animal pens and shelters. You feel sure that you have found the Prince's retreat and you ask Acraban to bring the skyship down within a mile of the settlement so as to avoid the risk of frightening him away. He complies, and within a matter of minutes the Starstrider is hovering above the tree-line less than a mile from the clearing. Acraban hands over command of the skyship to Gora, his bo'sun, and then you and he are lowered to the ground in the boarding cage.
After landing, you quickly discover a narrow trail that wends its way through this thickly-wooded headland. You volunteer to take the lead and you follow this track as it meanders towards the clearing. Wind whistles through the surrounding pines but the timberland itself is strangely silent; you can hear no sound from the beasts and birds that dwell herein.
If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, turn to 214.
If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 315.
Since we have a vote for Pathsmanship, I'll pause here to get votes from more readers
Overwatch: TomFoolery#1388 Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
Page 214:Your advanced tracking skills alert you to the presence of a concealed pit which bisects the trail ahead. It has been covered with pine branches and camouflaged with a thin layer of earth and stones, so as to make it indistinguishable from the rest of the trail. Cautiously you approach this trap and, using your Kai Weapon, you lift away some of the branches. Beneath you discover a deep pit lined with sharpened stakes.
Carefully you and Acraban skirt around the edge of this trap and then continue along the track towards the clearing.
Turn to 282.
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Page 282: As you near the clearing, you leave the trail and take cover among some bushes that fringe the tree-line. For a few minutes you wait here and observe the settlement for signs of life. You can see a log cabin with a veranda, three small sheds, and a picket-fenced enclosure containing goats and chickens. When your senses detect no human presence, you enter the clearing and signal to Acraban to follow as you make your approach towards the cabin.
From the veranda you can see a second track which descends steeply towards a sandy cove. You intensify your vision and catch sight of a man on the beach who is kneeling beside a stone-covered mound. He has blond shoulder-length hair and he is dressed in breeches and a jerkin made from tanned goat hides. From the descriptions given to you by Lord Zinair, you feel sure that he must be Prince Karvas.
Elated by your discovery, you motion Acraban to follow as you leave the cabin and hurry down the steep path towards the beach. You are within 100 feet of the kneeling man when he hears you approaching. He turns to face you and, in an instant, he grabs a loaded crossbow that is lying beside him on the sand and he aims it at your chest.
If you wish to raise your hands to show the man that you mean him no harm, turn to 253.
If you decide to dive for cover among the boulders that lie on either side of the path, turn to 85.
Overwatch: TomFoolery#1388 Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
Page 253: ‘Hail, Prince Karvas,’ you call, trying hard to make your voice sound as unthreatening as you can. ‘You have no need to fear us—we come as friends. We have journeyed far to find you and we bring important news from Siyen. Please, sire, put down your bow and let us talk.’
The blond-haired man hesitates, and then he lowers his crossbow just enough for you to be able to see his face clearly. Now you are sure that he is the man you seek.
‘Who are you?’ he shouts. ‘And what do you want from me?’
Turn to 170.
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Page 170: Slowly you step away from the boulder and motion Acraban to follow as you descend the steep trail to the beach. Prince Karvas walks towards you, his right hand resting purposefully on the hilt of a short sword sheathed by his side. Despite his dishevelled appearance, he moves with a proud aristocratic gait that reveals his noble ancestry.
With a polite formality usually reserved for the King's court and council chambers, Acraban bows to the Prince and makes his introductions. In sober tones he informs him of the unhappy events which have transpired in Siyen, events which have brought you both to Sheasu in search of him. Prince Karvas is saddened to hear of the death of his father. He glances at the mound of sand close to the base of the trail and you notice a tear in his eye. Lying alongside this mound is a plank of driftwood carved with the name Amarelda. It marks the last resting place of the Prince's young wife.
‘This is bitter news you bring, my lords,’ says Karvas, his sonorous voice wavering with emotion, ‘for my grief is doubled. I have now lost my wife and my father—the only two people I have ever truly loved.’
You and your companion offer the Prince your deepest condolences, and Acraban suggests that perhaps it would be best if you all left the beach. Karvas nods his consent and together you climb the trail back to his house atop the cliffs.
Over a cup of berry wine, Prince Karvas tells you the story of how he came to Sheasu to live the life of an outcast. A decade earlier, during a chance encounter in a foreign court, he had met and fallen helplessly in love with Princess Amarelda—the daughter of the King of Lunarlia. She, too, had fallen for him, and had accepted his offer of marriage. For centuries the neighbouring lands of Lunarlia and Siyen have been enemies, yet the sudden prospect of a marriage between Prince Karvas and Princess Amarelda promised to put an end to many years of rivalry and bloodshed. At first his father, the King of Siyen, approved of their union. But later he changed his mind and forbade his son to marry her on pain of exile. Karvas defied his father and was forced to leave his homeland. He travelled to Sheasu where he was later joined by his beloved Amarelda. She, too, had disobeyed her father's command and had been cast out for her act of defiance. Karvas talks fondly of the years they spent here alone together. Then, with sadness, he tells you that she recently fell ill with a fever from which she never recovered. For more than a month she fought the illness until, only three days ago, she passed away quietly in her sleep.
The news that Baron Sadanzo plans to steal his birthright enrages the Prince. For years he has blamed the Baron for his exile, for he alone openly opposed the marriage that would have healed the rift between Lunarlia and Siyen. Karvas is convinced that the Baron turned his father's mind with sorcery, and he agrees readily to leave Sheasu and journey with you aboard the Starstrider to Seroa to thwart Sadanzo's plan. The Prince's willing acceptance to return to his homeland raises your spirits. Acraban proposes a toast to the future King of Siyen and Karvas accepts the gesture in good humour. Then Acraban imparts the glad news to Lord Zinair by means of the seeing stone given to him by the elder magician. Zinair, who is sailing back to Suhn, congratulates you both for successfully finding the exiled Prince and he wishes you all a safe and speedy air voyage to Siyen.
Turn to 63.
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Page 63: The voyage to Siyen begins early the next day, an hour after first light. After saying a final farewell at Amarelda's graveside, Karvas gathers together a few of his meagre belongings, frees his livestock, and then allows himself to be winched aboard the deck of the waiting Starstrider. There are now twenty-five days remaining before Harvestmas Day and the crowning ceremony in Seroa. Acraban calculates that the voyage by air should take no longer than twelve days to complete. This news fosters a cheerful mood of optimism for it means that the Prince should arrive in good time to be able to thwart Baron Sadanzo's plan.
As the waters of the Sheasu Channel speed past the hull, and the crew of ten young Brotherhood initiates go about their airborne duties, you accompany Karvas to Acraban's quarters where the Prince is given new clothing to replace his goatskin hides. Acraban offers him the pick of several fine costumes that befit his highborn status, but the Prince chooses instead to dress in the simple, functional grey tunic, cloak, and breeches of a Sommlending journeyman.
‘I vowed to Amarelda that I would one day return to Siyen,’ says Karvas, fixing the clasp of his cloak. ‘Yet never would I have expected to arrive thus—dressed as a Northlander aboard a flying ship!’
For three days and nights the Starstrider sails eastwards across the vast uncharted forests of the Kelderwastes, a region where few men have ever set foot. Your natural curiosity fills you with a desire to learn more about this strange unexplored territory, yet you are prevented from observing its passing by an unending blanket of raincloud which keeps the timberland hidden from view. It is not until the afternoon of the fourth day that you observe gaps in the cloud cover through which you see swathes of dense forest and tracts of dark, volcanic rock. In the far distance you can hear a sound like thunder, and your keen Kai senses detect that the pressure of the surrounding air is beginning to rise and fall erratically.
If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Sentinel, turn to 156.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 235.
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Page 156: At first your senses lead you to believe that a tempest is brewing, that the fluctuating air pressure is merely the prelude to a violent electrical storm. You magnify your vision and scan the horizon in sure expectation, but, to your surprise, you see neither lightning bolts nor storm clouds in the far distance. Then your Kai senses detect the source of the shifting pressure: it is coming up from the ground.
Rapidly the blanket of cloud below the keel dissipates to reveal a stark landscape of black volcanic rock. It is scarred by deep chasms and fissures, some of which emit jets of steam that roar skywards to buffet the hub of the Starstrider as it passes by. These colossal jets condense to form strange green-grey clouds which slowly drift and tumble back to the ground. One such cloud forms in the air and begins to fall on a collision course with the ship. Acraban sees the threat and he orders Kuo, his helmsman, to descend 300 feet in order to evade the falling cloud mass. As he obeys the wizard's command, you sense suddenly that this manoeuvre could place the ship in greater danger, from the roaring jets of steam.
If you wish to tell Acraban to cancel his last command and order the helmsman to climb 300 feet instead, turn to 98.
If you decide it is best to leave the steering of the skyship to Acraban and his crewmen, turn to 290.
Overwatch: TomFoolery#1388 Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
Sorry had a conference after work today, here's the update.
Page 98: ‘With respect, Grand Master, I've more experience of sky-sailing than you,’ retorts Acraban, ‘and my experience tells me that it is better to avoid rogue storm clouds, such as this one, by cutting below them rather than—’
Acraban's words are suddenly drowned out by a crackling explosion that stuns you with its raw ferocity. From his nest atop the mainmast, the lookout shouts out a warning and frantically he points towards the ground. You rush to the rail and peer over the side, your stomach churning with fearful anticipation of what you will see. Deep within the fathomless reaches of the fissures and chasms passing below, you glimpse flashes of blue-white energy. These bolts are growing brighter and louder as they streak towards the surface. One bolt escapes from a vent in the middle distance and rips open the sky. It skewers a cluster of steam clouds and blows them apart in a spectacular explosion of gas and flame. Once again you urge Acraban to order his helmsman to ascend, this time to avoid the new and deadly danger that is striking from below.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–3, turn to 119.
If it is 4–9, turn to 20.
We got a 1
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This time Acraban does not argue. He bellows the order to Kuo the helmsman to reverse the descent and change course, thirty degrees to port. The bow of the Starstrider rises up and the deck banks gently over to the left. But then a deafening Crack! explodes from somewhere below the stern, and you are thrown onto your hands and knees when a violent shock wave ripples along the decking. Acraban calls for a damage report and each crewman shouts his response in turn. The Starstrider has sustained a glancing blow from an energy bolt. It has torn away part of the hull plating and damaged one of the ship's two internal stabilizers, upon which it relies for level flight. The craft ceases to gain height and begins drifting to starboard. This change of course is accompanied by a jarring vibration that runs through the deck and superstructure.
The surrounding sky is now a seething mass of billowing black clouds lit up by lethal blue-white bolts of lightning. The ship passes through a dark cloud and the metallic stench of ozone fills your nostrils. This harsh-smelling gas does you no harm, protected as you are by your innate Magnakai skill of Nexus. Likewise, Acraban suffers no ill effects from the gas for his magic is sufficient to counter it. But for Prince Karvas and the crew its effects are immediate and devastating. Clutching at their throats they lose their balance and fall to the deck, choking and spluttering as they fight for breath. Acraban instructs you to take the helm while he goes below to work on the damaged stabilizer. You follow his command and take control of the wheel from a barely-conscious Kuo. As the cloud passes the crew slowly recover, but you glimpse a fresh danger ahead. The Starstrider is drifting towards two large active fissures running parallel to each other, and a little over 100 feet apart. Sweat streaks your face as you struggle to steer a straight course between these fissures and so avoid the crackling bolts of energy that are hurtling out of their fiery depths.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery or Elementalism, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 0–2, turn to 201.
If it is 3–7, turn to 179.
If it is 8 or higher, turn to 42.
We got a 9 + 2 = 11
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Page 42: It is a difficult struggle to keep the Starstrider on a straight and level course for she veers continually towards starboard. To counter this persistent drift you pull the wheel hard to port, yet the effects of her damaged stabilizer are unpredictable, making it almost impossible for you to maintain any sure control of the helm. In desperation, you muster all of your Kai senses and focus them on the narrow strip of land which separates the fissures. Bolts of searing energy leap out of these chasms and soar past the skyship on either side to explode with thunderous cacophony among the roiling clouds. The crew cower with terror, but you keep your nerve and let your Kai skills take full control of the wheel. After several nerve-racking miles the fissures eventually taper off and then disappear completely.
As the Starstrider emerges from the gauntlet of deadly white fire, the crew gives a loud cheer in appreciation of your skilful helmsmanship. Gladly you acknowledge their praise, but you maintain your grip of the helm for your Kai senses are screaming a warning that the danger has not yet passed.
Turn to 302.
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Page 302: You are three miles clear of the fissures when the steering becomes dangerously erratic. The Starstrider is losing altitude and her deck is beginning to tilt alarmingly to starboard. Soon it becomes almost impossible to stand upright. Acraban appears from below and struggles valiantly across the sloping deck to join you at the helm. The young sorcerer is gaunt and exhausted, and his ginger hair is matted with grime and sweat. Clearly his efforts to repair the ailing skyship have severely drained his magical energies.
‘We have lost one stabilizer and the other is badly damaged,’ he says, grimly. ‘I have done all I can to repair it but I fear it may fail at any moment. Without stabilizers we will not stay airborne.’
Acraban takes the helm and orders his crew to prepare for a crash landing. Some of the men tie themselves to the ship's superstructure, whilst others stand free of the rails and pray for the protection of Goddess Ishir. Prince Karvas has found refuge in a rope locker bolted to the main deck. He lifts the lid and urges you to join him. There is sufficient room for two.
If you wish to climb into the rope locker alongside Prince Karvas, turn to 79.
If you choose to stay with Acraban at the ship's helm, turn to 199.
Overwatch: TomFoolery#1388 Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
Page 199: You brace yourself against the ship's rail and watch with trepidation as Acraban fights to maintain control over his ailing skyship. Your stomach churns as the deck heaves from side to side, and your heart misses a beat when there is a sudden jolt and a fearful sound of screeching metal.
‘We've lost the second stabilizer!’ shouts Acraban in alarm. The wheel is suddenly wrenched from his grasp and it begins to spin out of control. The Starstrider has been losing height for several minutes, but now its angle of descent becomes far steeper. The skyship dives through a bank of low cloud and a great sea of trees comes rushing up to meet the bow. You grip the rail as tightly as you can and await the dreadful moment of impact. There is a splintering crack of timber when the hull collides with the treetops, and then, moments later, there is a terrific jolt as the craft's bow slams into the rocky soil and comes to an abrupt halt.
The impact of the crash wrenches your hands from the rail and sends you tumbling across the stern deck.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 4 or lower, turn to 68.
If it is 5 or higher, turn to 328.
We got a 6 + 1 = 7
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Page 328: As you tumble across the decking, you rely on your advanced Kai agility and Sixth Sense to avoid hitting the many obstacles that are strewn in your path. Unfortunately, you are unable to avoid them all and you come to a sudden halt when you collide with a crewman on the middle deck: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 295.
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Page 295: You stagger painfully to your feet and try to focus on your surroundings. Through a pall of smoke you hear the groans of wounded crewmen and the crackling buzz of electrical arcing. Steam rises from a gaping hole in the stern deck and a fire rages around the base of the mainmast. Prince Karvas emerges unscathed from the rope locker and quickly he helps you to smother this fire. Then he gives first aid to a crewman who is lying nearby, nursing a broken knee. Acraban comes staggering out of the smoke. His robes are torn and a trickle of blood runs from a cut above his right ear. You use your Magnakai Curing skills to heal the wizard's wound and then together you help evacuate the injured crewmen from the crippled skyship. Acraban orders Bo'sun Gora to go and assess the state of the crew. He returns shortly and reports that from the ship's original complement of ten men, three are now missing, three are wounded, and one is dead. The remaining three crewmen, himself included, have survived the crash with only minor injuries.
Using your Magnakai Curing skills, you ease the pain of the badly-injured crewmen before helping Karvas and Gora to bury the dead man—Kuo the helmsman. The area surrounding the crashed skyship is thickly wooded and, with night fast approaching and a sky heavy with clouds, it is impossible for you to determine your exact location. Acraban proposes to contact Lord Zinair to inform him of the disaster by means of his seeing stone. But, to his dismay, he soon discovers that the magical artefact has been lost in the crash.
As the darkness of night envelops the smouldering wreck of the Starstrider, you find it hard to suppress a growing sense of despair. It is a mood shared by the other survivors, and few words are exchanged as you work together to erect a makeshift shelter for the wounded beside the ship's battered keel. When the shelter is finished, you each look for a place nearby where you can lie down and attempt to recover from the fatigue of your terrible ordeal.
Before you try to get some sleep, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 331.
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Page 331: You pass the hours before daybreak in a restless, semi-conscious state. You cannot sleep properly for your mind is tormented by the gnawing fear that your mission has come to an early and tragic end. You rise before dawn and try to overcome your melancholic mood by tending to the three wounded crew members. Through the use of your Magnakai Curing skills you are able to accelerate their own natural healing processes so that, when daybreak finally arrives, they are no longer incapacitated by the injuries they received in the crash.
As the grey morning light filters down through the canopy of the forest, it reveals a corridor of smashed and flattened trees lying in the wake of the crippled Starstrider. Acraban and his bo'sun make a lengthy inspection of the craft and then report their findings.
‘The glad news is that she's repairable,’ pipes Bo'sun Gora, confidently. ‘She looks bad but her engine's as sound as a bell. We've the materials and tools aboard to fix 'er stabilizers, and there's mor'n enough timber 'round here to patch up the decks and hull.’ Acraban nods his agreement yet, unlike his bo'sun, his face remains dour.
‘Aye, she'll fly again,’ confirms Acraban, ‘but it'll take us close to a month to craft the parts we need to repair the stabilizers.’ He turns to Prince Karvas and says: ‘Alas, my lord, by then it will be too late to reach Seroa in time for your crowning.’
‘What if we were to seek aid from the craftsmen of Bakhasa?’ you say, knowing by instinct and a brief study of your map that this city can be no further than 100 miles away to the east. ‘Could the repairs be made any sooner with their help?’
‘Expect no help from that quarter,’ replies Karvas, coolly. ‘During my time in Mydnight I heard many stories about Bakhasa and its ruler—the Imperial Autarch Sejanoz. They were all chilling tales. They say it's a cruel and evil place—a city without a soul where human life counts for little. If you wish to live to see your homeland again, Master Acraban, you should not seek the help of the Bakhasians. Better by far to keep your work hidden from their eyes.’
‘But, my lord,’ replies Acraban, ‘what of your kingdom? Are you prepared to surrender your birthright to Baron Sadanzo?’
‘No, never!’ retorts Karvas, suddenly angered by the wizard's suggestion. ‘There are twenty-one days yet before the feast of Harvestmas. With the blessing of the gods, I vow I shall be in Seroa on that day to claim my ascendance.’
The Prince proposes to set off for Seroa on foot. He says that he will go alone and that you should stay here to help Acraban restore the Starstrider, returning with him to Sommerlund once the repairs are complete. Politely you refuse his proposal. You have vowed to Lone Wolf that you will carry out your mission and, despite adversity, you will not abandon your duty. It is a matter of Kai honour that you should escort him to Seroa.
Turn to 124.
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Page 124: The Prince smiles when you refuse to let him attempt the long journey to Seroa alone.
‘Very well, Grand Master,’ he says. ‘So be it. In truth, I could not hope for a more worthy companion on the road ahead. Come, let us plan our way as best we can.’
Acraban has one of his men fetch his compass and charts from the skyship to help you to determine the swiftest route overland to Seroa. You quickly establish your present location and suddenly you realize how difficult the journey ahead will be. Seroa lies over 1,200 miles to the east, beyond mountains, plains, and uncharted wilderness. You calculate that in order to reach the city in time you must cover no less than 60 miles every day.
‘On foot, across such harsh terrain … it is impossible,’ says Acraban, shaking his head.
‘Perhaps so,’ replies Karvas, ‘but if we had horses then it could be done.’
You scan the surrounding forest and let your Kai senses wander afar. ‘There are no horses in this timberland, my lord,’ you say, certain in the knowledge that your judgement is correct. Karvas acknowledges your skill with a wry smile.
‘I take great pride in my magical powers,’ interjects Acraban, jovially, ‘but even I, my lord, cannot summon horses from out of the air. Where, pray tell, do you hope to find mounts with strength enough to carry you all the way home?’
Karvas turns his eyes to the east and says: ‘Why, in Bakhasa, of course. Mark you, the citizens of that foul city will not help us out of the goodness of their hearts, of that we can be sure. But they have horses—strong Bhanarian stallions. Perhaps, Grand Master, we shall be able to borrow a pair?’
You laugh with Prince Karvas at the audacity of his plan and you feel your spirits rise. A long and dangerous journey lies ahead, yet you are impressed by the Prince's courage and determination and you feel confident once more that your mission can succeed. Acraban also approves. He and his men will stay and restore the Starstrider and then fly back to Toran as soon as they are able.
Mindful that time is not your ally, you gather your Weapons and equipment together in readiness to leave. After bidding farewell to Acraban and his crewmen, you set off with Prince Karvas into the great forest, heading east. The vast timberland is rich with game, roots, and berries, and you are able to hunt and gather food on the move (you gather enough for 2 Meals). By noon you have made good progress and have reached the eastern fringe of the forest. Beyond lies an undulating plain that gradually descends towards a wide river. To the northeast, sitting astride this river, you glimpse the dark outline of a city.
‘That's Bakhasa,’ says Karvas, confidently. You magnify your vision and estimate it to be no more than 30 miles distant. ‘With luck, we should make it there by midnight.’
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 35.
If it is 5–9, turn to 220.
We got a 1.
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Page 35: The rolling plain to the west of Bakhasa is a bleak and barren steppe, devoid of flora yet studded with countless thousands of sawn-off tree stumps. Once this region was part of the Great Forest of Kelderwood, but in recent times the ruler of Bhanar, Autarch Sejanoz, has commanded the Bakhasians to harvest the forest's valuable hardwood and dispatch it downstream to feed the insatiable needs of the imperial shipyards of Otavai. Travelling on foot, the stumps do not obstruct your progress and you are able to press on until late in the afternoon. As you are cresting a ridge of high ground, you spot a troop of horsemen escorting a line of wagons laden with timber. They are less than a mile distant and they appear to be heading towards a settlement on the banks of the River Tehda. You wait and watch them until they are dots on the horizon before continuing your trek towards the city of Bakhasa.
You are within 20 miles of Bakhasa when dusk begins to darken the gloomy sky. Karvas requests that you stop to rest awhile before making a final push for the city. You are feeling hungry after your long day's march and you agree readily. (Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.) You are about to resume your trek when your Kai Sixth Sense alerts you to the sound of approaching horses and wagons. You are scanning the surrounding hills when suddenly a dozen riders appear from behind a ridge to the north. They are escorting two wagons filled with sleepy timber workers returning to their settlement after a day's labour. You signal to Karvas to hide himself as they approach along a cleared trail which passes within 20 yards of your position. The horsemen canter past ahead of the wagons, but one of the riders who is following behind suddenly leaves the track and steers his horse through the stumps towards your position. Fearing that you may have been spotted, you signal to Prince Karvas to split up and find a new hiding place. Silently you watch as the horseman is slowed to a halt by a dense cluster of tree stumps. He dismounts and abandons his mare in order to continue his search on foot. He draws his sword as he passes close to where you are hiding, but he does not see you. As he moves away, you see that his horse does not follow. She stays to crop some sickly weeds at the base of a tree stump barely 10 yards from where you are lying. Hanging from her saddle are a bulging leather satchel, an axe, and a coil of rope.
If you wish to attempt to look inside the horse's saddlebag, turn to 145.
If you decide to remain hidden among the tree stumps, turn to 287.
Overwatch: TomFoolery#1388 Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
Page 145: 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—a Blanket, enough food for 2 Meals, a Dagger, and a Tinderbox.
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.
Turn to 54.
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Page 54: Karvas rises from among the tree stumps and hurries back to join you. Together you watch the departing wagons and horsemen until they are no more than dots on the horizon before you continue your trek towards the city of Bakhasa.
Night falls within an hour of you resuming your trek, yet the distant lights of Bakhasa and its surrounding settlements enable you to stay on course and maintain an impressive pace. The city is lit by hundreds of fiery beacons which mark the outline of its ancient perimeter wall and angular watchtowers. These fires also illuminate the surface of the River Tehda which passes through the centre of Bakhasa. To the south of the city, lines of tethered barges stacked high with logs lie moored along both of its paved banks. Under cover of the night, you are able to move through the outlying settlements without being seen. When at last you hear a bell in the city tolling the midnight hour, you find yourself upon a knoll overlooking a rutted road which approaches Bakhasa's west gate. Using your night vision, you scan the high perimeter wall and note the positions of guards posted around its tiled parapet. They are greatest in number above a wide stone archway where the glimmering river flows out of the city. Prince Karvas is eager to enter the city before dawn and he asks you to choose the way. Aware that it may prove easier to find and take some horses while most of Bakhasa's inhabitants are still asleep, you scan the perimeter wall once more and consider how best you can pass beyond it.
If you wish to attempt to enter Bakhasa by way of its west gate, turn to 311.
If you decide to attempt entry to the city by way of the river arch, turn to 94.
Overwatch: TomFoolery#1388 Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
The only problem with holiday weekends is the work backlog that follows them.
Page 94: You make your approach to within 40 yards of the gate by means of a road that runs parallel to the fast-flowing river. At this point you leave the road and scurry to take cover behind a pile of logs that are stacked at the river's edge, ready to be loaded aboard a barge which is moored close by. You can see a dozen soldiers patrolling the parapet above the river gate, and each one is clad in a suit of shiny armour made from lacquered steel scales and hardened leather. They are armed with bows, spears, and maces, and their shields display the head of a tiger-like creature baring ferocious fangs. Karvas whispers that it is the emblem of Autarch Sejanoz—the ruler of Bhanar.
For several minutes you observe the guards as they march back and forth with their spears couched on their shoulders. During your watch you discover that the guardsmen are not the only ones who occupy this span. On a tiled ledge running beneath the parapet is a long line of roosting crows. They are resting shoulder-to-shoulder and are almost invisible against the jet-black stonework of the arch. Your careful observations tell you that the guards are alert and observant. It will be difficult to get past these men without being seen. If you are to gain entry to the city by this river route, first you will have to create a diversion to draw away the watchful guards.
If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Elementalism, and wish to use it, turn to 213.
If you possess Magi-magic, and wish to use it, turn to 71.
If you possess neither of these skills, or if you choose not to use them, turn to 109.
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Page 213: You look to the nearby barge, with its cargo of logs strapped to its deck, and a bold plan forms in your mind. Drawing upon your mastery of Elementalism, you cause one of these canvas straps to ignite spontaneously. Rapidly the fire burns through the strap and, with a thunderous roar, five of the heavy logs roll off the deck and splash into the river. Sped along by the swift current, they ram into other barges moored downstream and punch holes through their hulls at the waterline. When the guards on the parapet see one of the barges sinking, they raise the alarm and muster a rescue party to attempt to save its valuable cargo.
Under cover of the sudden commotion, you and Karvas creep towards the river arch and pass beneath it without being seen.
Turn to 304.
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Page 304: Beyond the arch is a narrow brick walkway which borders the river. You hurry along this unlit footpath until you come to a flight of steps that lead to a flagstoned loading area 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.
Soon you come to a stone bridge that traverses the River Tehda. You hurry across and enter a wide avenue which leads to the city's east quarter. Grimy two-storey houses of carved hardwood pass by on either side, silent behind their bolts and shutters. At the end of the avenue you almost collide with a patrol of armed guards which is marching towards the river, and hurriedly you are forced to take cover in a timber yard to avoid being seen. You watch the ten-strong patrol as it marches past, and note that these men are clad in black quilted tunics with wide silk leggings, and they are armed with curved swords and hand-axes. They are almond-eyed and they all have shiny black hair tied in a knot at the nape of their necks. Their leader, a stocky bull-necked sergeant, wears the emblem of Sejanoz emblazoned upon a scarlet armband. Patiently you wait for them to reach the river but, when they do, you see another patrol come marching along the avenue from the opposite direction. The east quarter of Bakhasa is a busy place, even at this late hour. Rather than risk being seen and captured, you decide to remain hidden here in the timber yard and attempt to get a few hours' sleep before dawn.
Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 340.
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Page 340: You are woken at daybreak by the rattling sound of heavy chains and the mechanical thumping and buzzing of a steam-driven sawmill. The fearful noise is almost deafening, yet it fails to awaken Karvas who is sleeping deeply after yesterday's tiring trek. You let him sleep on for another hour before you are forced to awaken him. A trio of rugged timber workers have arrived in an ox-drawn wagon to collect logs for transportation to the river barges. Unfortunately, they have decided to take the logs behind which you are hiding. As they busy themselves fixing hooks and chains, you and Karvas slip aboard their wagon and cover yourselves with a tarpaulin. Once the loading is complete, the men take their seats at the front of the wagon and set off for the river.
Through a rent in the oily canvas sheet you watch the drab houses and streets of Bakhasa filing past. The wagon slows as it approaches the city's main bridge, and then it comes to an unexpected halt. A black-clad guardsman appears and you hear him say to the driver that he wants to inspect his cargo. The driver argues with the guard, insisting that he be allowed to continue on his way. Fearing that you may be detected if the guard prevails, you and Karvas slip away from the wagon and hurry into the ruins of a warehouse close by.
From the cover of this derelict warehouse you watch the soldiers and citizens of Bakhasa going about their daily business. Only twenty days remain before Harvestmas, and as the hours tick by, you become uncomfortably aware that time is running out. With 1,200 miles yet to cover, you know that the success or failure of your mission now hinges on your being able to find some sturdy horses. Throughout the long day you observe the traffic of people who are using the surrounding streets, yet rarely do you see any on horseback.
On the north side of the warehouse there stands a domed building with an adjoining bell-tower. As dusk approaches, you propose to Karvas that you should try to reach the top of this tower. Using your keen sight you will get a better view of the city from there and, with luck, you may be able to locate the nearest stables. The Prince agrees to your plan. He will remain here in the warehouse while you attempt to gain access to the bell-tower. Night is closing and, as you wait for the streets to empty, you study the building opposite and determine two ways by which you may enter its tower: by a side door at street level, or by an open window in the second storey of the tower.
If you wish to try to enter the building by the side door, turn to 154.
If you choose instead to attempt to climb the tower wall and enter through the open window, turn to 271.
Overwatch: TomFoolery#1388 Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
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Page 271: You are getting ready to leave the derelict warehouse when the tower bell starts to toll. Minutes later a long line of black-clad figures, mostly soldiers, comes filing along the street towards the building. Two great doors swing open to receive this procession and you catch a glimpse of the building's cavernous interior. It is richly appointed with tapestries and golden ornaments, yet, despite its beautifully crafted opulence, you feel nothing but a sense of revulsion. Your Kai Sixth Sense informs you that this place is a temple wholly devoted to the worship of an evil deity.
As soon as the procession has entered, the doors are closed and the bell ceases to toll. Shaken but undeterred by what you have witnessed, you leave the warehouse and hurry across the street towards the base of the tower.
If you possess Kai-alchemy, turn to 228.
If you do not possess this skill, turn to 175.
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Page 228: You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell—Levitation—and feel your feet leaving the dusty street as you ascend effortlessly towards the second-storey window. When you draw level with the window you counter the spell and step through its tall frame onto a stone stairway beyond. This circular staircase leads to the top of the tower which commands a magnificent view of the city. Aided by your night vision, you are able to locate stables less than a mile to the north of the tower. You commit their location to memory and then hurriedly you descend the stairs and return to the window. Once more you use your Brotherhood magic, this time to slow your descent as you step through to the street below.
Prince Karvas is delighted to hear that there are stables in the city, and he insists that you set off for them at once. He is leading the way out of the warehouse ruins when suddenly the tower bell begins to toll once more. Moments later, the temple doors swing open and the procession of black-clad figures file out into the street. Instinctively you take hold of Karvas by the arm and pull him back into the ruins to avoid being seen by the emerging soldiers. As they pass by, you peer around the edge of the crumbling warehouse doorway to watch them. A strange feeling of unease makes the skin on the back of your neck prickle, and immediately you sense that all is not what it seems. When you magnify your vision to take a closer look at the passing figures, you gasp with shock at what you see.
Turn to 100.
Hey hey, finally levitating without injuring ourselves :P
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Page 100: The Bakhasian soldiers have undergone a dramatic transformation. Before they entered the temple their skin had the yellowy hue of tallow and their hair was silky black. Now their faces and hands are ghostly white, their hair has turned steely grey, and the pupils of their red-rimmed eyes have changed to a pale translucent amber. The sight of their gaunt faces chills your heart; they look more like animated corpses than living men.
The procession leaves the temple at a funereal pace. At the rear of the column you can see four Bakhasians carrying a platform on their shoulders on which rests an elaborate shrine. It is fashioned from gold and jewels and has been crafted into the likeness of a tiger's head. Two huge ivory fangs protrude from its jaw and its jewelled eyes glow with a flickering scarlet fire. You notice that the tiger-like shrine resembles the emblem of Sejanoz which is embroidered upon the sleeves of the soldiers' padded black tunics. As the platform-bearers draw level with the warehouse doorway, the head of the tiger shrine slowly rotates in your direction and two pencil-thin beams of red light shoot from its eyes. You duck back behind the doorway but you know that it is too late—the shrine has detected your presence and it is alerting the cadaverous soldiers to your hiding place. Your Sixth Sense informs you that it is the goodly aura of your Kai Weapon that has activated the shrine and betrayed your position.
When you hear one of the platform-bearers shouting an order, you tell Karvas to get ready to run. You chance a glance around the doorway and your worst fears are confirmed when you see three Bakhasians advancing swiftly towards the warehouse. They are carrying what appear to be hollow, stubby spears that are connected by metallic piping to cylindrical backpacks. One of the advancing soldiers sees you and a puff of bubbling steam gushes from the tip of his spear. In the next instant, a solid projectile smashes through the warehouse wall, leaving a ragged hole in the brickwork less than a hand's breadth from your head.
You and Karvas scramble across the rubble-strewn floor towards an open portal on the far side of the derelict warehouse. As you reach this exit, you hear the hiss and thump of another projectile being launched at your fleeing backs.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you possess Assimilance, add 2. If your current ENDURANCE score is 20 or higher, add 1.
If your total score is now 0–4, turn to 24.
If it is 5–7, turn to 223.
If it is 8 or higher, turn to 307.
We got a 9+3 = 12.
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Page 307: As you are leaping through the portal, the projectile whistles past within inches of your head and slams into the brick wall of an alleyway running alongside the warehouse. With the Bakhasians close on your heels, you signal to Karvas to follow your lead as you make a hurried escape along the passage towards an adjoining torchlit street.
Turn to 88.
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Page 88: When you reach the end of the passageway, you stop for a few moments to recover and take stock of your perilous situation. Your pursuers have entered the alleyway behind you and you can hear them running towards the street. You see another alley, sandwiched between two tall buildings on the opposite side, and you tell Karvas to follow as you hurry towards it. You are halfway across the street when suddenly a second group of Bakhasians appears. They have circled around the warehouse in an attempt to cut off your escape. Moments later, the four shrine-bearers arrive with their tiger-head idol still hoisted upon their shoulders. Your Sixth Sense tells you that this idol is helping them to follow your trail. If you are to make a successful escape from these ghoulish soldiers, you must do something to disrupt the idol's power.
If you possess a Bow, and wish to use it, turn to 345.
If you possess Kai-alchemy, and wish to use it, turn to 242.
If you possess Magi-magic, and wish to use it, turn to 138.
If you possess Elementalism, and wish to use it, turn to 291.
If you possess neither a Bow, nor any of these Grand Master Disciplines (or if you choose not to use any of them), turn to 18.
Overwatch: TomFoolery#1388 Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
Page 242: You recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and extend your right arm towards the nearest shrine-bearer. A crackling arc of magical energy leaps from your fingers and strikes the man in the chest, knocking him to the ground. As he releases his grip of the platform, it tilts over and the tiger-head idol tumbles from its wooden base. It hits the cobblestones with a mighty crash, breaks in two, and releases a whirling cone of red flame from its hollow core that engulfs the remaining bearers. In the blink of an eye the three men are transformed into smouldering heaps of ash.
Cries of fear and outrage echo along the street as the Bakhasian soldiers witness the deaths of their comrades and the destruction of their unholy symbol. Before they can gather themselves and give chase, you and Karvas rush across the street and make a hasty escape along the dark alleyway beyond.
Turn to 180.
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Page 180: Word of the shrine's destruction spreads quickly. Within minutes of your escape, the sleeping city is rudely awakened by a cacophony of alarm bells and discordant horns. Search parties are mustered and soon the major avenues of the city echo to a new sound—the tramp of vengeful patrols dispatched to track you down. By using your advanced Kai tracking skills and taking care to avoid the main thoroughfares, at length you are able to reach the stables that you saw from the top of the temple bell-tower. From the cover of a cart parked across a square from its double-gated entrance, you observe the building and the passing patrols and wait patiently for the commotion to die down.
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.
If you possess a Tehda Key, turn to 136.
If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 274.
Hurrah for our obsessive pilfering!
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Page 136: 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' door. When you are sure that you have not been seen, you pull back the bolts and insert the key into the lock. With a prayer to Ishir on your lips that this is the correct key, you turn it in the keyhole. Your prayer is answered: the key unlocks the door. You push open the heavy portal and hurry through it into a courtyard beyond.
Turn to 190.
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Page 190:The courtyard is bounded on three sides by paddocks, tack rooms, and an equestrian training park. There are only two guards on duty here inside the compound, the others having been called upon to assist the patrols that are out searching the city. They are both asleep at their posts and you have no difficulty tiptoeing past them and entering the paddocks where the horses are stabled.
You search the stalls and soon discover two black Bhanarian stallions of magnificent quality and breeding. They will make ideal mounts for you and Prince Karvas. These intelligent animals respond readily to your Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control and they remain calm and composed as you hurriedly fix their saddles and bridles. As you are leading them out into the courtyard, you stop to unbuckle a sword belt from the belly of a sleeping guard. Prince Karvas is unarmed and you are sure he will appreciate this weapon more than its present owner.
You lead the horses across the courtyard and as you approach the stables' main doors, you mount one of them and fix the reins of the other to your stirrup. Then you kick open one of the double doors and urge your horse forward at the gallop.
The guards outside are taken completely by surprise. As they fumble to unsheathe their swords, you race across the square and wave to Karvas who is waiting patiently for your signal. The Prince leaps up from behind the cart and comes running towards the spare horse. He is getting ready to leap for its saddle when a gruff cry alerts you to danger. A patrol has entered the square and their officer is commanding his sergeant to fire at you with his bow.
If you possess Kai-surge, turn to 172.
If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 313.
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Page 172: You launch a pulse of mental energy at the archer and it sears his mind (use of this Grand Master Discipline costs you 1 ENDURANCE point). The man screams and recoils from the sudden pain that has invaded his head. As he falls backwards, he releases his arrow and it arcs through the air to shatter uselessly against the wall of the stables.
Karvas leaps into the saddle and you toss him the reins. With a cry of elation, you wheel your horse about and spur him towards an avenue on the east side of the square. You and the Prince gallop side by side along this broad thoroughfare as fast as your mounts will carry you, trampling any Bakhasian who is foolish enough to stand in your way. The road leads directly to the city's east gate where a bell is tolling loudly. A crowd of militiamen have gathered at the gate, summoned from their beds by the alarm, but they are without their officer and in the chaos and confusion they have forgotten to close the gate. They scatter in all directions as you thunder along the avenue towards them and you are able to escape through the open archway without challenge.
Whooping with excitement, you race away from Bakhasa along a dusty trail that heads towards the foothills of the Dammerdon Mountains. You glance to your side and see Prince Karvas punch the air victoriously. Clearly he is as excited by this daring escape as you are; he has a grin fixed to his sweat-streaked face that stretches from ear to ear.
The strong Bhanarian stallions carry you swiftly into the foothills and never once do they falter in their stride nor slacken their impressive pace. Only when you can no longer see the lights of Bakhasa do you let them slow to a canter. For more than an hour you travel the trail as it meanders through pine-covered hills and shallow valleys. The night sky is clear and the way ahead is illuminated by bright starlight. When you come to a shallow ford that crosses a fast-flowing stream, you stop here awhile to let your horses drink their fill.
Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 323.
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Page 323: While the horses are drinking, you laugh with Karvas when you recall the startled faces of the militiamen as you galloped through their dithering ranks at Bakhasa's east gate, and you take the opportunity to give him the sword and belt that you took from the sleeping guard at the Tehda Stables. He smiles as he buckles it on his hip and then he unsheathes the blade to gauge its weight and balance.
‘Not the best steel I've ever handled,’ he muses, ‘but better than no steel at all. I'm indebted to you, Grand Master.’17
It is an hour past midnight and the passing of another day rekindles thoughts of the road ahead. With only nineteen days to Harvestmas, the city of Seroa still seems a very long way away. But you draw some comfort from the fact that you now have two fine stallions. They are sure to make the long road seem far shorter. You are admiring them when suddenly they stop drinking and become agitated. You scan the surrounding trees yet you detect nothing untoward. Then you hear the sound of approaching hoofbeats and you curse yourself for being complacent.
‘I should have known they would not let us get away with two horses as fine as these,’ you say, as hurriedly you and Karvas climb back into the saddle. You urge your horses across the ford and, as you take to the trail beyond, you look over your shoulder to see half a dozen armed Bakhasians come galloping along the trail towards the stream. They are led by a warrior who is sheathed from head to toe in shiny black armour and he holds a metal staff raised in his gauntleted hand. Beyond the stream the trail narrows as it ascends into the forested hills.
As you reach the crest of a ridge, you glance back to see that your pursuers are gaining on you. The leader aims his staff and a ball of flame hurtles from its tip to come streaking between you and the Prince. This fiery missile fails to strike its target, but the heat and noise of its passing startles Karvas' horse. The Prince controls his mount with admirable skill, yet in so doing he loses speed and is soon left trailing over 100 yards behind. You wave to him, urging him frantically to catch up, and he signals to you to ride on. When you turn to look at the trail ahead, you are shocked to see that it is now blocked by a burning tree. The fiery missile has struck and felled a pine and ignited its inflammable sap. As you gallop towards this blazing trunk, your heart sinks when you see that it blocks the narrow trail: there is no clear way around it.
If you wish to attempt to jump your horse over this blazing pine trunk, turn to 204.
If you decide to rein in your horse and turn to face your pursuers, turn to 60.
Overwatch: TomFoolery#1388 Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
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Posts
New Order
Mydnight's Hero
The Story So Far
http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/23mh/tssf.htm
to read the backstory.
Our Kai Name
For these books, we get to name ourselves. Going to be interesting to have no one able to call us by name. We can come up with our own, or if no one has a god idea, I can roll up a name from the below table that they provided.
Our randomly decided name is Stormheart!
Kai and Magnakai Disciplines
During your distinguished rise to the ranks of the New Order of Kai Grand Masters, you have become proficient in all of the basic Kai and Magnakai Disciplines. These Disciplines provide you with a formidable arsenal of natural abilities which will serve you well. A brief summary of your skills is given below:
You are proficient with all close combat and missile weapons. You are a master of unarmed combat and suffer no COMBAT SKILL loss when fighting bare-handed.
Animal Control
You are able to communicate with most animals and have limited control over hostile creatures. You can use woodland animals as guides and you are able to block a non-sentient creature's sense of taste and smell.
Curing
You are able to restore ENDURANCE points lost as a direct result of combat. You may restore 1 ENDURANCE point for every numbered section of the book you pass through in which you are not involved in further combat. The maximum number of ENDURANCE points that can be restored in this way is limited to 10 per adventure.
You also possess the ability to heal the wounds of others, and you can neutralize the harmful effects of most poisons, venoms, and toxins.
Invisibility
You can hide effectively in most environments, mask any sounds made during movement, and you can cause minor alterations of your own physical appearance. Also you are able to mask your own body heat and scent.
Huntmastery
You are an expert hunter of food in the wild. You possess great physical agility and a keen sense of vision (day and night). Your senses of hearing and smell are especially acute.
Pathsmanship
You are able to understand most languages, magical symbols, and hieroglyphics. You are expert at reading footprints and tracks. You have an intuitive knowledge of the compass points and can detect the threat of an enemy ambush up to a distance of 500 yards. You possess an ability to cross terrain without leaving tracks. You can converse with sentient creatures and mask yourself from psychic spells of detection.
Psi-surge
You are able to attack enemies using the powers of your mind. Also you can set up disruptive vibrations in inanimate objects and cause confusion in the minds of unsophisticated enemies.
Psi-screen
You possess strong mental defences against hypnosis, supernatural illusions, charms, hostile telepathy, and evil spirits. You are able to divert and re-channel some hostile psychic energy to your own ends.
Nexus
You can move small items by projection of your mind power. You can withstand extremes of temperature and are able to extinguish fire by force of your will alone. You have a limited immunity to flames, toxic gases, and corrosive liquids.
Divination
Your famous Kai Sixth Sense can warn you of imminent danger. You can detect invisible or hidden enemies, and you are able to communicate telepathically. You can recognize magic-using and/or magical creatures, detect psychic residues, and you have a limited ability to leave your corporeal body (‘spirit-walk’) for short periods.
New Order Kai Grand Master Disciplines
After years of martial training and study at the Kai Monastery, and by the rigorous practice of the teachings of your illustrious mentor—Kai Supreme Master Lone Wolf—you have achieved the noble rank of Kai Grand Master Senior.
Following in the footsteps of Lone Wolf himself, you have vowed that one day you will become totally proficient in all 16 of the New Order Kai Grand Master Disciplines. By doing so successfully you will share with Lone Wolf the responsibility, the honour, and the future glory of leading the New Order Kai as a Supreme Master.
Your present rank of Kai Grand Master Senior means that you have mastered four of the New Order Grand Master Disciplines listed below. It is for you to decide which four Disciplines these are. As all of the New Order Grand Master Disciplines may be of use to you at some point during your mission, pick these four skills with care. The correct use of a New Order Grand Master Discipline at the right time could save your life.
Grand Weaponmastery
This Discipline enables a New Order Grand Master to become supremely efficient in the use of all weapons. When you enter combat armed with one of your Grand Master weapons, you may add 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL. The rank of Kai Grand Master Senior, with which you begin the New Order series, means that you are skilled in the use of one of the weapons listed in the Equipment section.1 For every adventure that you complete successfully in the New Order series while possessing the Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery, you will gain proficiency with one additional weapon.
If you have the Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery with Bow, you may add 3 points to any number you pick from the Random Number Table, when using the Bow.
Animal Mastery
New Order Grand Masters have considerable control over hostile, non-sentient creatures. Also, they have the ability to converse with birds and fishes, and use them as guides.
Deliverance (Advanced Curing)
New Order Grand Masters are able to use their healing power to repair serious battle-wounds. If, while in combat, their ENDURANCE is reduced to 8 points or less, they can draw upon their mastery to restore 20 ENDURANCE points. This emergency ability can only be used once every 20 days.
Assimilance (Advanced Invisibility)
New Order Grand Masters are able to effect striking changes to their physical appearance, and maintain these changes over a period of one to three days. They have also mastered advanced camouflage techniques which make them virtually undetectable in an open landscape.
Grand Huntmastery
New Order Grand Masters are able to see in total darkness and they possess great natural speed and agility. They also have a superb sense of touch and taste. If you have chosen the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery as one of your skills, you will not need to tick off a Meal when instructed to eat.
Grand Pathsmanship
New Order Grand Masters are able to resist entrapment by hostile plants. Also they have a super-awareness of ambush, or the threat of ambush, in woods and dense forests.
Kai-surge
When using their psychic ability to attack an enemy, New Order Grand Masters may add 8 points to their COMBAT SKILL. For every round in which Kai-surge is used, they need only deduct 1 ENDURANCE point. Grand Masters have the option of using a weaker form of psychic attack called Mindblast. When using this lesser attack, they may add 4 points to their COMBAT SKILL without loss of ENDURANCE points (Kai-surge and Mindblast cannot be used simultaneously). New Order Grand Masters cannot use Kai-surge if their ENDURANCE score falls to 6 points or below.
Kai-screen
During psychic combat, New Order Grand Masters are able to construct mind-fortresses capable of protecting themselves and others. The strength and capacity of these fortresses increase as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.
Grand Nexus
New Order Grand Masters are able to withstand contact with harmful elements, such as flames and acids, for upwards of an hour in duration. This ability increases as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.
Telegnosis (Advanced Divination)
This Discipline enables a New Order Grand Master to spirit-walk for far greater lengths of time, and with far fewer ill effects. Duration of the spirit-walk and the protection afforded to his inanimate body increase as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.
Magi-magic (Old Kingdom Magic)
Under the tutelage of Lone Wolf, you have been able to master the rudimentary skills of Old Kingdom battle-magic. These arcane skills include the use of basic Old Kingdom Spells, such as Shield, Power Word, and Invisible Fist. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of Old Kingdom magic increase.
Kai-alchemy (Brotherhood Magic)
Under the tutelage of Lone Wolf and Guildmaster Banedon (the leader of Sommerlund's Guild of Magicians), you have mastered the elementary spells of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. These spells include Lightning Hand, Levitation, and Mind Charm. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of Brotherhood magic increase.
Astrology
The celestial bodies which occupy the skies above Magnamund have long been known to affect the lives of its inhabitants. Mastery of this Discipline enables a New Order Grand Master to predict and shape the future by studying the relative positions of the Sun, the Moon, and the myriad planets and stars. The number and accuracy of these predictions increase as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.
Herbmastery
Mastery of this New Order Discipline enables a Grand Master to identify readily any substance derived from living or growing organic material. He is aware of any secret uses to which an organic material may be put, and he is skilled in effecting the release of a substance's medicinal and/or magical properties.
Elementalism
This Discipline enables a New Order Grand Master to manipulate the four basic elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. By drawing upon individual elements that are available, or combinations thereof, he is able to detach, affix, increase, concentrate, intensify, remove, or accelerate this matter to fulfil a specific purpose, e.g. create a wall, hurl a rock, spray sand, remove air, intensify fire. The versatility of this Discipline increases as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.
Bardsmanship
Through mastery of this Discipline a Kai Grand Master of the New Order becomes a multi-talented performer, proficient in the use of any musical instrument. He is able to sing or chant, recite or compose tales of legend, mimic speech or dialect, and stimulate a wide range of emotions among sentient creatures. The effect and power of his bardic abilities will steadily increase as he advances through the Grand Master ranks.
Improved Grand Master Disciplines
As you rise through the higher levels of Grand Mastery you will find that your Disciplines will steadily improve.
If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Kai Grand Master Superior, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:
Animal Mastery
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are able to deter predatory animals in the wild by exuding a scent which is repellent to them. In order for this improved Discipline to work effectively, a Kai Grand Master Superior must be aware of the species of predatory animal he/she wishes to deter. The scent can only be detected by the targeted animal.
Assimilance
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this skill are able to create a noise and project it up to 15 yards away from their location. The noise is akin to the rumbling sound of thunder and it can be used to distract or divert an enemy's attention. This improved Discipline requires a degree of preparation and therefore it cannot be used during combat.
Astrology
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are skilled in the use of all mechanical devices designed to measure and/or observe the cosmology of Magnamund. Such devices include sextants, astrolabes, and orreries.
Herbmastery
Kai Grand Master Superiors who have this Discipline are able to purify water, thereby making contaminated or briny water suitable for consumption. Roughly two pints of water per day can be purified using this skill alone. This daily total steadily increases as a Grand Master advances in rank.
Elementalism
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this skill are able to condense pure water out of the surrounding air. This water can be made to fall as a fine spray or as a sudden deluge. It can also be made to fill any suitable container or receptacle. Using this skill, Grand Master Superiors can create the equivalent of one large bucketful of fresh water.
Bardsmanship
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are able to utilize their musical skills to pacify an excited or hostile animal.
Equipment
Maps:
Gold Crowns: 50
You may also select five items from the list below, only two of which may be Weapons:
Quarterstaff (Weapons) Bow (Weapons) Quiver (Special Items) -- This contains six Arrows; record them on your Action Chart. Flute (Backpack Item) Dagger (Weapons) Sword (Weapons) 2 Meals (Meals) -- Each Meal takes up one space in your Backpack. Rope (Backpack Item) Potion of Laumspur (Backpack Item) -- This potion restores 4 ENDURANCE points to your total when swallowed after combat. There is enough for only one dose. Axe (Weapons)
By default, I am grabbing the bow, 2 meals, and the potion as backpack items. In addition, I am taking the quiver, and the +20 hp potion and +2 CR amulet we earned last adventure as special items.
Kai Weapons
Upon reaching the ultimate rank of Kai Supreme Master, Lone Wolf received as a reward from the God Kai many new skills and abilities. One of these skills was Kai Weaponcraft. Using his newfound mastery, Lone Wolf forged ten weapons of magical power in the armoury furnaces of the Kai Monastery. These magical weapons are reserved for the élite of the New Order Kai who attain the rank of Grand Master.
In recognition of your rank and achievement, you may choose your own Kai Weapon from the table below.
(Note: the book gives us some leeway to generate our own, so if, say, people really wanted an axe with the underground bonus, we can do that.)
Our sword is the Kaistar.
Levels of New Order Kai Grand Mastership
Kai Grand Master Senior Kai Grand Master Superior Kai Grand Sentinel -- This is our rank. Kai Grand Defender Kai Grand Guardian Sun Knight Sun Lord Sun Thane Grand Thane Grand Crown Sun Prince Kai Supreme Master
Improved Disciplines
Kai Grand Master Superior
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are able to deter predatory animals in the wild by exuding a scent which is repellent to them. In order for this improved Discipline to work effectively, a Kai Grand Master Superior must be aware of the species of predatory animal he/she wishes to deter. The scent can only be detected by the targeted animal.
Assimilance
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this skill are able to create a noise and project it up to 15 yards away from their location. The noise is akin to the rumbling sound of thunder and it can be used to distract or divert an enemy's attention. This improved Discipline requires a degree of preparation and therefore it cannot be used during combat.
Astrology
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are skilled in the use of all mechanical devices designed to measure and/or observe the cosmology of Magnamund. Such devices include sextants, astrolabes, and orreries.
Herbmastery
Kai Grand Master Superiors who have this Discipline are able to purify water, thereby making contaminated or briny water suitable for consumption. Roughly two pints of water per day can be purified using this skill alone. This daily total steadily increases as a Grand Master advances in rank.
Elementalism
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this skill are able to condense pure water out of the surrounding air. This water can be made to fall as a fine spray or as a sudden deluge. It can also be made to fill any suitable container or receptacle. Using this skill, Grand Master Superiors can create the equivalent of one large bucketful of fresh water.
Bardsmanship
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are able to utilize their musical skills to pacify an excited or hostile animal.
Kai Grand Master Sentinels who possess this Discipline are, when physically parted from their Kai Weapon, able to detect its location. This power of detection will pass through solid objects, with the notable exception of lead. Accuracy and range of detection steadily increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Grand Pathsmanship
Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this skill are able to predict the weather accurately for the forthcoming 3 hours. The range of this ability is an area ten square miles around the Kai Grand Sentinel. Duration and range steadily increase as a Kai Grand Master rises in rank.
Astrology
Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this Discipline are able to detect psychic residues left on an object by its owner. The more valuable the object is to its owner, the stronger will be the lingering psychic attachment. The majority of everyday or shared objects do not retain such residues.
Herbmastery
Through their knowledge and use of common plants, Kai Grand Sentinels who have this Discipline are able to make contaminated or rotten food fit for human consumption.
Elementalism
Kai Grand Master Sentinels who possess this skill are able to charge particles of air electrically around any man-sized or smaller object. The particles will automatically discharge and cause damage should the affected object be touched or opened. Kai Grand Master Sentinels are able to handle a charged object without discharging it.
Bardsmanship
Kai Grand Master Sentinels who possess this Discipline are able to use their singing or playing to counter a hostile sonic attack. The effective use and range of this sonic defence steadily increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Our Status
Name: Stormheart
Weapon: Kaistar
New Powers: TBD
Inventory: TBD
Combat Skill: 33
Endurance: 42
Please choose one new skill and any other inventory items you want.
Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
The Azaktana is stocked with sufficient fresh water and provisions to enable her to complete the voyage without unnecessary delays. The weather is Zinair's main concern for the southern seas are notorious for the occurrence of sudden storms and squalls. Yet, despite his fears, the weather proves to be uncommonly mild. Aided by a strong easterly trade wind, the long voyage across the Mythenian and Vaduz seas is completed in record time.
Shortly after sunset on the twentieth day of your voyage, the twinkling harbour lights of Mydnight are sighted by the lookout. The Captain shouts an order and hurriedly his crew lower the sails to allow The Azaktana to glide silently into the harbour of Sheasu's solitary port. As the crewmen secure the ship to the quayside, the scudding clouds part and the decks are bathed by the ashen light of a full moon.
‘In thirty days' time the moon will be full once more,’ says Lord Zinair, thoughtfully. ‘It will then be the moon of Harvestmas. I pray that you and Prince Karvas shall be in Seroa to see that.’
The parting clouds have also revealed a smaller globe of light in the night sky, above the port's eastern quarter. At first you assume it to be just a star, but when you magnify your vision you see it is the stern lantern of a flying ship which is hovering 100 feet above the rooftops.
‘See, there, my lord,’ you say, and point to the orb of light.
‘Ah, yes,’ replies Zinair, smiling. ‘It would appear that Wizard Acraban has arrived before us.’
Lord Zinair's pronouncement is proved to be correct when a young man, attired in the blue and silver robes of a Brotherhood magician, comes striding along the quayside towards your ship. He has a neatly trimmed beard and long, flowing ginger hair, and his chiselled features are distinctly Sommlending.
If you have ever visited the city of Caeno (in a previous Lone Wolf New Order adventure), turn to 165.
If you have never visited the city of Caeno, turn to 299.
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Page 165: ‘Well met, my lords,’ calls the ginger-haired magician as he waits on the quayside for you and Lord Zinair to disembark. As you descend the gangplank, you are struck by the young man's resemblance to Melchar, the journeyman whom you met in Caeno during your long voyage south to the Isle of Lorn. As you step ashore, the magician greets you with a broad smile and a firm handshake.
‘I am Acraban, of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. I had not expected we would rendezvous so soon. I arrived here myself only this morning aboard my skyship Starstrider,’ he says, earnestly. His facial similarity to Melchar is so striking that you feel compelled to ask if he knows of the journeyman. ‘Why, yes, Grand Master. Melchar is my brother. On his return from Caeno he told me all about your escapades at the races there. I have looked forward to meeting you in person.’
Then the young magician excuses himself before turning away to face his flying ship. He raises his right hand and a shimmering blue flame suddenly engulfs his open palm. From the rear deck of the hovering skyship you see a flashing pinpoint of light. It is an acknowledgement of Acraban's signal to his watching crew that you have arrived.
‘Come, my lords, let us return to the Starstrider. We have much to discuss and time is precious.’
Turn to 90.
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Page 90: Lord Zinair tells the captain of The Azaktana to await his return. Then he accompanies you and Acraban along an avenue that leads away from the quayside and climbs steeply into the heart of the eastern quarter. Your first impressions of the port of Mydnight are less than favourable. In the stark glare of the full moon it seems to be little more than a brooding shamble of slate-roofed houses and reeking tenements built around a haphazard maze of narrow, rat-infested alleyways. At this late hour, few of the port's inhabitants are abroad. The only people you see are the few who dare to peek at your passing through the mullioned glass of their wretched hovels.
The avenue leads eventually to a deserted market square which commands a view over the harbour below. Here you see a large iron cage with a thick cable attached to a ring at the centre of its roof. The cable is held taut by a winch fixed to the stern of the Starstrider which hovers 100 feet overhead. The faint hum of its magical engine can be heard wavering on the warm sea breeze. Acraban ushers you into the cage and clicks shut its iron door. He tugs a cord and immediately the cage is lifted off the ground and hoisted up to the rear deck of the skyship. Here you are welcomed aboard by the skyship's crew, all of whom are young acolytes of the Magicians' Guild of Toran. Acraban takes you to his quarters located below the forward deck where he offers you and Lord Zinair some food and wine. After many months away from home it is good to taste Sommlending fare once more.
Since his arrival in Mydnight earlier in the day, Acraban has learned that Prince Karvas does not reside here in the city. To search for him now would be futile and so you resolve to get some sleep and commence your hunt for the Prince at first light. Shortly after dawn, the three of you meet again on the main deck. Acraban suggests that you each spend the day scouting the city for information that may lead you to Karvas. He tells of three places where this information is most likely to be found. The first is a large trading post, known as Grosta's Warehouse, located on the south side of the harbour. The second is the Hall of the Judicars, a base for the officers who are elected by the citizens of Mydnight to maintain law and order in their city. And the third is The Smitheries, the artisans' and tradesmen's district of Mydnight that is situated west of the quayside.
If you wish to visit Grosta's Warehouse, turn to 48.
If you choose to visit the Hall of the Judicars, turn to 321.
If you decide to explore The Smitheries, turn to 226.
Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
As for the prince, check Grosta's Warehouse.
Elementalism
Weaponmastery
Huntmastery
Alchemy
Kai-Surge
Page 48: Having decided the places where each of you will search for the whereabouts of Price Karvas, you follow Acraban to the rear deck and enter the skyship's boarding cage. Swiftly it is winched down to the market square where you are met unexpectedly by a pressing crowd of grimy-faced street urchins. They have been gathering here since dawn to stare in wonderment at the Starstrider hovering motionless in the cloudless sky above. Acraban scatters a handful of copper coins across the cobblestones and the children scramble to retrieve them. This creates enough space to allow Zinair to open the cage door and the three of you to step out. After agreeing to return to the skyship no later than sunset, you split up and go in search of your chosen destinations.
Unlike the urchins, the adult population of Mydnight appears less than fascinated by the imposing sight of the Starstrider hovering above their city. Few give it a second glance. This seeming lack of interest does not surprise you. For centuries this port has been a refuge for exiles from the many nations of Magnamund who, for their own individual reasons, have chosen to forsake their native lands. They are, by nature, a secretive community. Any overt interest in the affairs of another is often viewed with suspicion and distrust. You retrace the route you took last night and soon find yourself at the harbour. The Azaktana is still moored at the quayside and you give the crew a friendly wave as you stride along the harbour wall towards the city's south quarter.
You have no difficulty finding Grosta's Warehouse; this weather-beaten emporium occupies most of the waterfront. Its main entrance is guarded by two muscular, sallow-faced Mythenians who wear long, silky black moustaches. Reluctantly they move aside to allow you into the warehouse. Inside you are greeted by a bald, pot-bellied man with a thin smile. He wipes his hands on his striped apron and enquires how he may be of service. When you ask if he knows where you can find Prince Karvas of Siyen his smile quickly transforms into a scowl of suspicion and he takes a few shuffling steps backwards. Your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that he suspects you to be an assassin who has come here to Mydnight to find and murder the Prince. Nervously he glances at the two Mythenians guarding the door. You realize you must act quickly if you wish to allay his fears and avoid a confrontation with his men.
If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Kai-alchemy, turn to 192.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you choose not to use it, turn to 243.
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Page 192: You fix the trader with a piercing stare and quietly breathe the words of the Brotherhood Spell Mind Charm. As the spell takes hold, you command him mentally to signal to his men that all is well between you. Your magical charm instils a sense of calm well-being into the man and he begins to relax and smile. He complies with your command and the two Mythenians turn away. When you are sure that they are out of earshot, you ask the trader if he knows the whereabouts of Prince Karvas of Siyen. He tells you that the Prince does not reside in the city. There is a rumour that he lives somewhere on the remote northern coast of Sheasu. He also tells you that Karvas is not alone. Shortly after he came here, almost a decade ago, he was joined by a young woman. They were married by a sea captain in Mydnight harbour, on board the deck of his trading ship, and ever since their wedding day they have rarely been seen again.
You thank the trader for his help and leave the warehouse before the effects of the spell wear off. On returning to the quayside you set out to explore the tangle of alleyways that make up the city's eastern quarter in the hope of discovering more about the Prince and his wife. Unfortunately, your efforts garner no new information. As the sun begins to settle on the horizon, you abandon your search and hurry back through the darkening passageways towards the market square.
Turn to 308.
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Page 308: Wizard Acraban and Lord Zinair are already waiting aboard the Starstrider by the time you reach the market square. The magician orders the boarding cage to be lowered and you are winched up to the skyship. Both are anxious to hear your news of Prince Karvas' whereabouts for their own enquiries have yielded little useful information. You inform them of what you have learned—that the Prince has a wife and they are living somewhere on the island's northern coastline. Lord Zinair has discovered that Amarelda is the name of Karvas' wife, and Acraban has learned that they last visited Mydnight a year ago.
‘You have done well, Grand Master,’ says Lord Zinair. ‘The citizens of this city are a secretive breed, yet you may have prised enough from them to help us find our reclusive Siyenese Prince.’ Turning to Acraban, he says: ‘I propose we travel north at first light and commence a search of the northern shoreline. It will be easier to espy his retreat from the air than to attempt a search by land.’
Acraban nods in agreement and passes word to his young crew to prepare the Starstrider for a voyage north at first light.
Turn to 187.
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Page 187: You spend the evening aboard the Starstrider in the company of your two companions. In the comfort of Acraban's quarters, you study charts and maps of the Isle of Sheasu in preparation for tomorrow's voyage. The northern coastline stretches for more than 200 miles and it is indented with hundreds of bays and tiny inlets. Searching this territory for Prince Karvas' home will be a difficult task, yet, thanks to the Starstrider, not an impossible one.
Lord Zinair gives Acraban a small seeing-stone, one of a pair that he possesses. It will enable him to stay in contact with the elder magician and inform him when the Prince has been found. Lord Zinair has decided it is best that he go back to Suhn aboard The Azaktana. He has fulfilled his promise to Lone Wolf that he would escort you swiftly and safely here to Mydnight, and the time has now come for him to return to his ambassadorial duties. Before he leaves for his ship moored in the harbour, he wishes you both a swift, sure, and successful voyage.
‘I look forward to the day we shall meet again, my lords,’ he says. ‘Though I shall not be with you in body, my spirit will travel with you all the way to Seroa. Good luck and godspeed.’
You rise before daybreak and as the first rays of the morning sun creep over the horizon, you hear Acraban giving the order to commence the voyage north. From the forward deck rail you watch in fascination as the hovels and harbour of Mydnight slide gently away beneath the keel. The hum of the skyship's engine increases in pitch as it steadily gains speed and altitude, until soon all you can see are the hills and valleys of Sheasu whirling past far below.
The flight to the north coast takes a day to complete. Upon arriving in this remote region you soon realize that the shoreline will prove more challenging to explore than had been expected. Much of the coast is forested, and there are countless miles of undercut cliffs and steep ravines that could keep entire villages hidden from the air. For two days the Starstrider follows the coastline with all hands on lookout duty, yet no human habitation is sighted. It is not until the afternoon of the fourth day of your voyage that your luck changes for the better. An eagle-eyed crewman on the forward deck spots a tiny clearing on a wooded peak overlooking a crescent-shaped bay. You magnify your vision and see, in the centre of this clearing, a single-storey house with a split log roof, surrounded by animal pens and shelters. You feel sure that you have found the Prince's retreat and you ask Acraban to bring the skyship down within a mile of the settlement so as to avoid the risk of frightening him away. He complies, and within a matter of minutes the Starstrider is hovering above the tree-line less than a mile from the clearing. Acraban hands over command of the skyship to Gora, his bo'sun, and then you and he are lowered to the ground in the boarding cage.
After landing, you quickly discover a narrow trail that wends its way through this thickly-wooded headland. You volunteer to take the lead and you follow this track as it meanders towards the clearing. Wind whistles through the surrounding pines but the timberland itself is strangely silent; you can hear no sound from the beasts and birds that dwell herein.
If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, turn to 214.
If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 315.
Since we have a vote for Pathsmanship, I'll pause here to get votes from more readers
Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
3DS FC: 0817-3759-2788
Why not.
Nintendo ID: Incindium
PSN: IncindiumX
Page 214:Your advanced tracking skills alert you to the presence of a concealed pit which bisects the trail ahead. It has been covered with pine branches and camouflaged with a thin layer of earth and stones, so as to make it indistinguishable from the rest of the trail. Cautiously you approach this trap and, using your Kai Weapon, you lift away some of the branches. Beneath you discover a deep pit lined with sharpened stakes.
Carefully you and Acraban skirt around the edge of this trap and then continue along the track towards the clearing.
Turn to 282.
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Page 282: As you near the clearing, you leave the trail and take cover among some bushes that fringe the tree-line. For a few minutes you wait here and observe the settlement for signs of life. You can see a log cabin with a veranda, three small sheds, and a picket-fenced enclosure containing goats and chickens. When your senses detect no human presence, you enter the clearing and signal to Acraban to follow as you make your approach towards the cabin.
From the veranda you can see a second track which descends steeply towards a sandy cove. You intensify your vision and catch sight of a man on the beach who is kneeling beside a stone-covered mound. He has blond shoulder-length hair and he is dressed in breeches and a jerkin made from tanned goat hides. From the descriptions given to you by Lord Zinair, you feel sure that he must be Prince Karvas.
Elated by your discovery, you motion Acraban to follow as you leave the cabin and hurry down the steep path towards the beach. You are within 100 feet of the kneeling man when he hears you approaching. He turns to face you and, in an instant, he grabs a loaded crossbow that is lying beside him on the sand and he aims it at your chest.
If you wish to raise your hands to show the man that you mean him no harm, turn to 253.
If you decide to dive for cover among the boulders that lie on either side of the path, turn to 85.
Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
Hey Secret Santa!
The blond-haired man hesitates, and then he lowers his crossbow just enough for you to be able to see his face clearly. Now you are sure that he is the man you seek.
‘Who are you?’ he shouts. ‘And what do you want from me?’
Turn to 170.
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Page 170: Slowly you step away from the boulder and motion Acraban to follow as you descend the steep trail to the beach. Prince Karvas walks towards you, his right hand resting purposefully on the hilt of a short sword sheathed by his side. Despite his dishevelled appearance, he moves with a proud aristocratic gait that reveals his noble ancestry.
With a polite formality usually reserved for the King's court and council chambers, Acraban bows to the Prince and makes his introductions. In sober tones he informs him of the unhappy events which have transpired in Siyen, events which have brought you both to Sheasu in search of him. Prince Karvas is saddened to hear of the death of his father. He glances at the mound of sand close to the base of the trail and you notice a tear in his eye. Lying alongside this mound is a plank of driftwood carved with the name Amarelda. It marks the last resting place of the Prince's young wife.
‘This is bitter news you bring, my lords,’ says Karvas, his sonorous voice wavering with emotion, ‘for my grief is doubled. I have now lost my wife and my father—the only two people I have ever truly loved.’
You and your companion offer the Prince your deepest condolences, and Acraban suggests that perhaps it would be best if you all left the beach. Karvas nods his consent and together you climb the trail back to his house atop the cliffs.
Over a cup of berry wine, Prince Karvas tells you the story of how he came to Sheasu to live the life of an outcast. A decade earlier, during a chance encounter in a foreign court, he had met and fallen helplessly in love with Princess Amarelda—the daughter of the King of Lunarlia. She, too, had fallen for him, and had accepted his offer of marriage. For centuries the neighbouring lands of Lunarlia and Siyen have been enemies, yet the sudden prospect of a marriage between Prince Karvas and Princess Amarelda promised to put an end to many years of rivalry and bloodshed. At first his father, the King of Siyen, approved of their union. But later he changed his mind and forbade his son to marry her on pain of exile. Karvas defied his father and was forced to leave his homeland. He travelled to Sheasu where he was later joined by his beloved Amarelda. She, too, had disobeyed her father's command and had been cast out for her act of defiance. Karvas talks fondly of the years they spent here alone together. Then, with sadness, he tells you that she recently fell ill with a fever from which she never recovered. For more than a month she fought the illness until, only three days ago, she passed away quietly in her sleep.
The news that Baron Sadanzo plans to steal his birthright enrages the Prince. For years he has blamed the Baron for his exile, for he alone openly opposed the marriage that would have healed the rift between Lunarlia and Siyen. Karvas is convinced that the Baron turned his father's mind with sorcery, and he agrees readily to leave Sheasu and journey with you aboard the Starstrider to Seroa to thwart Sadanzo's plan. The Prince's willing acceptance to return to his homeland raises your spirits. Acraban proposes a toast to the future King of Siyen and Karvas accepts the gesture in good humour. Then Acraban imparts the glad news to Lord Zinair by means of the seeing stone given to him by the elder magician. Zinair, who is sailing back to Suhn, congratulates you both for successfully finding the exiled Prince and he wishes you all a safe and speedy air voyage to Siyen.
Turn to 63.
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Page 63: The voyage to Siyen begins early the next day, an hour after first light. After saying a final farewell at Amarelda's graveside, Karvas gathers together a few of his meagre belongings, frees his livestock, and then allows himself to be winched aboard the deck of the waiting Starstrider. There are now twenty-five days remaining before Harvestmas Day and the crowning ceremony in Seroa. Acraban calculates that the voyage by air should take no longer than twelve days to complete. This news fosters a cheerful mood of optimism for it means that the Prince should arrive in good time to be able to thwart Baron Sadanzo's plan.
As the waters of the Sheasu Channel speed past the hull, and the crew of ten young Brotherhood initiates go about their airborne duties, you accompany Karvas to Acraban's quarters where the Prince is given new clothing to replace his goatskin hides. Acraban offers him the pick of several fine costumes that befit his highborn status, but the Prince chooses instead to dress in the simple, functional grey tunic, cloak, and breeches of a Sommlending journeyman.
‘I vowed to Amarelda that I would one day return to Siyen,’ says Karvas, fixing the clasp of his cloak. ‘Yet never would I have expected to arrive thus—dressed as a Northlander aboard a flying ship!’
For three days and nights the Starstrider sails eastwards across the vast uncharted forests of the Kelderwastes, a region where few men have ever set foot. Your natural curiosity fills you with a desire to learn more about this strange unexplored territory, yet you are prevented from observing its passing by an unending blanket of raincloud which keeps the timberland hidden from view. It is not until the afternoon of the fourth day that you observe gaps in the cloud cover through which you see swathes of dense forest and tracts of dark, volcanic rock. In the far distance you can hear a sound like thunder, and your keen Kai senses detect that the pressure of the surrounding air is beginning to rise and fall erratically.
If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Sentinel, turn to 156.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 235.
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Page 156: At first your senses lead you to believe that a tempest is brewing, that the fluctuating air pressure is merely the prelude to a violent electrical storm. You magnify your vision and scan the horizon in sure expectation, but, to your surprise, you see neither lightning bolts nor storm clouds in the far distance. Then your Kai senses detect the source of the shifting pressure: it is coming up from the ground.
Rapidly the blanket of cloud below the keel dissipates to reveal a stark landscape of black volcanic rock. It is scarred by deep chasms and fissures, some of which emit jets of steam that roar skywards to buffet the hub of the Starstrider as it passes by. These colossal jets condense to form strange green-grey clouds which slowly drift and tumble back to the ground. One such cloud forms in the air and begins to fall on a collision course with the ship. Acraban sees the threat and he orders Kuo, his helmsman, to descend 300 feet in order to evade the falling cloud mass. As he obeys the wizard's command, you sense suddenly that this manoeuvre could place the ship in greater danger, from the roaring jets of steam.
If you wish to tell Acraban to cancel his last command and order the helmsman to climb 300 feet instead, turn to 98.
If you decide it is best to leave the steering of the skyship to Acraban and his crewmen, turn to 290.
Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
Yeah, from what our new Grand skill tells us, let us go where balloons go.
LoL EU West nickname: Irridan
Page 98: ‘With respect, Grand Master, I've more experience of sky-sailing than you,’ retorts Acraban, ‘and my experience tells me that it is better to avoid rogue storm clouds, such as this one, by cutting below them rather than—’
Acraban's words are suddenly drowned out by a crackling explosion that stuns you with its raw ferocity. From his nest atop the mainmast, the lookout shouts out a warning and frantically he points towards the ground. You rush to the rail and peer over the side, your stomach churning with fearful anticipation of what you will see. Deep within the fathomless reaches of the fissures and chasms passing below, you glimpse flashes of blue-white energy. These bolts are growing brighter and louder as they streak towards the surface. One bolt escapes from a vent in the middle distance and rips open the sky. It skewers a cluster of steam clouds and blows them apart in a spectacular explosion of gas and flame. Once again you urge Acraban to order his helmsman to ascend, this time to avoid the new and deadly danger that is striking from below.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–3, turn to 119.
If it is 4–9, turn to 20.
We got a 1
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This time Acraban does not argue. He bellows the order to Kuo the helmsman to reverse the descent and change course, thirty degrees to port. The bow of the Starstrider rises up and the deck banks gently over to the left. But then a deafening Crack! explodes from somewhere below the stern, and you are thrown onto your hands and knees when a violent shock wave ripples along the decking. Acraban calls for a damage report and each crewman shouts his response in turn. The Starstrider has sustained a glancing blow from an energy bolt. It has torn away part of the hull plating and damaged one of the ship's two internal stabilizers, upon which it relies for level flight. The craft ceases to gain height and begins drifting to starboard. This change of course is accompanied by a jarring vibration that runs through the deck and superstructure.
The surrounding sky is now a seething mass of billowing black clouds lit up by lethal blue-white bolts of lightning. The ship passes through a dark cloud and the metallic stench of ozone fills your nostrils. This harsh-smelling gas does you no harm, protected as you are by your innate Magnakai skill of Nexus. Likewise, Acraban suffers no ill effects from the gas for his magic is sufficient to counter it. But for Prince Karvas and the crew its effects are immediate and devastating. Clutching at their throats they lose their balance and fall to the deck, choking and spluttering as they fight for breath. Acraban instructs you to take the helm while he goes below to work on the damaged stabilizer. You follow his command and take control of the wheel from a barely-conscious Kuo. As the cloud passes the crew slowly recover, but you glimpse a fresh danger ahead. The Starstrider is drifting towards two large active fissures running parallel to each other, and a little over 100 feet apart. Sweat streaks your face as you struggle to steer a straight course between these fissures and so avoid the crackling bolts of energy that are hurtling out of their fiery depths.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery or Elementalism, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 0–2, turn to 201.
If it is 3–7, turn to 179.
If it is 8 or higher, turn to 42.
We got a 9 + 2 = 11
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Page 42: It is a difficult struggle to keep the Starstrider on a straight and level course for she veers continually towards starboard. To counter this persistent drift you pull the wheel hard to port, yet the effects of her damaged stabilizer are unpredictable, making it almost impossible for you to maintain any sure control of the helm. In desperation, you muster all of your Kai senses and focus them on the narrow strip of land which separates the fissures. Bolts of searing energy leap out of these chasms and soar past the skyship on either side to explode with thunderous cacophony among the roiling clouds. The crew cower with terror, but you keep your nerve and let your Kai skills take full control of the wheel. After several nerve-racking miles the fissures eventually taper off and then disappear completely.
As the Starstrider emerges from the gauntlet of deadly white fire, the crew gives a loud cheer in appreciation of your skilful helmsmanship. Gladly you acknowledge their praise, but you maintain your grip of the helm for your Kai senses are screaming a warning that the danger has not yet passed.
Turn to 302.
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Page 302: You are three miles clear of the fissures when the steering becomes dangerously erratic. The Starstrider is losing altitude and her deck is beginning to tilt alarmingly to starboard. Soon it becomes almost impossible to stand upright. Acraban appears from below and struggles valiantly across the sloping deck to join you at the helm. The young sorcerer is gaunt and exhausted, and his ginger hair is matted with grime and sweat. Clearly his efforts to repair the ailing skyship have severely drained his magical energies.
‘We have lost one stabilizer and the other is badly damaged,’ he says, grimly. ‘I have done all I can to repair it but I fear it may fail at any moment. Without stabilizers we will not stay airborne.’
Acraban takes the helm and orders his crew to prepare for a crash landing. Some of the men tie themselves to the ship's superstructure, whilst others stand free of the rails and pray for the protection of Goddess Ishir. Prince Karvas has found refuge in a rope locker bolted to the main deck. He lifts the lid and urges you to join him. There is sufficient room for two.
If you wish to climb into the rope locker alongside Prince Karvas, turn to 79.
If you choose to stay with Acraban at the ship's helm, turn to 199.
Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
Our character's name is Stormheart. This is what he was born for.
3DS FC: 0817-3759-2788
Yep.
Podcast WHORING: Episodes 2-8 (Thanks Zonghui)
This.
‘We've lost the second stabilizer!’ shouts Acraban in alarm. The wheel is suddenly wrenched from his grasp and it begins to spin out of control. The Starstrider has been losing height for several minutes, but now its angle of descent becomes far steeper. The skyship dives through a bank of low cloud and a great sea of trees comes rushing up to meet the bow. You grip the rail as tightly as you can and await the dreadful moment of impact. There is a splintering crack of timber when the hull collides with the treetops, and then, moments later, there is a terrific jolt as the craft's bow slams into the rocky soil and comes to an abrupt halt.
The impact of the crash wrenches your hands from the rail and sends you tumbling across the stern deck.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 4 or lower, turn to 68.
If it is 5 or higher, turn to 328.
We got a 6 + 1 = 7
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Page 328: As you tumble across the decking, you rely on your advanced Kai agility and Sixth Sense to avoid hitting the many obstacles that are strewn in your path. Unfortunately, you are unable to avoid them all and you come to a sudden halt when you collide with a crewman on the middle deck: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 295.
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Page 295: You stagger painfully to your feet and try to focus on your surroundings. Through a pall of smoke you hear the groans of wounded crewmen and the crackling buzz of electrical arcing. Steam rises from a gaping hole in the stern deck and a fire rages around the base of the mainmast. Prince Karvas emerges unscathed from the rope locker and quickly he helps you to smother this fire. Then he gives first aid to a crewman who is lying nearby, nursing a broken knee. Acraban comes staggering out of the smoke. His robes are torn and a trickle of blood runs from a cut above his right ear. You use your Magnakai Curing skills to heal the wizard's wound and then together you help evacuate the injured crewmen from the crippled skyship. Acraban orders Bo'sun Gora to go and assess the state of the crew. He returns shortly and reports that from the ship's original complement of ten men, three are now missing, three are wounded, and one is dead. The remaining three crewmen, himself included, have survived the crash with only minor injuries.
Using your Magnakai Curing skills, you ease the pain of the badly-injured crewmen before helping Karvas and Gora to bury the dead man—Kuo the helmsman. The area surrounding the crashed skyship is thickly wooded and, with night fast approaching and a sky heavy with clouds, it is impossible for you to determine your exact location. Acraban proposes to contact Lord Zinair to inform him of the disaster by means of his seeing stone. But, to his dismay, he soon discovers that the magical artefact has been lost in the crash.
As the darkness of night envelops the smouldering wreck of the Starstrider, you find it hard to suppress a growing sense of despair. It is a mood shared by the other survivors, and few words are exchanged as you work together to erect a makeshift shelter for the wounded beside the ship's battered keel. When the shelter is finished, you each look for a place nearby where you can lie down and attempt to recover from the fatigue of your terrible ordeal.
Before you try to get some sleep, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 331.
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Page 331: You pass the hours before daybreak in a restless, semi-conscious state. You cannot sleep properly for your mind is tormented by the gnawing fear that your mission has come to an early and tragic end. You rise before dawn and try to overcome your melancholic mood by tending to the three wounded crew members. Through the use of your Magnakai Curing skills you are able to accelerate their own natural healing processes so that, when daybreak finally arrives, they are no longer incapacitated by the injuries they received in the crash.
As the grey morning light filters down through the canopy of the forest, it reveals a corridor of smashed and flattened trees lying in the wake of the crippled Starstrider. Acraban and his bo'sun make a lengthy inspection of the craft and then report their findings.
‘The glad news is that she's repairable,’ pipes Bo'sun Gora, confidently. ‘She looks bad but her engine's as sound as a bell. We've the materials and tools aboard to fix 'er stabilizers, and there's mor'n enough timber 'round here to patch up the decks and hull.’ Acraban nods his agreement yet, unlike his bo'sun, his face remains dour.
‘Aye, she'll fly again,’ confirms Acraban, ‘but it'll take us close to a month to craft the parts we need to repair the stabilizers.’ He turns to Prince Karvas and says: ‘Alas, my lord, by then it will be too late to reach Seroa in time for your crowning.’
‘What if we were to seek aid from the craftsmen of Bakhasa?’ you say, knowing by instinct and a brief study of your map that this city can be no further than 100 miles away to the east. ‘Could the repairs be made any sooner with their help?’
‘Expect no help from that quarter,’ replies Karvas, coolly. ‘During my time in Mydnight I heard many stories about Bakhasa and its ruler—the Imperial Autarch Sejanoz. They were all chilling tales. They say it's a cruel and evil place—a city without a soul where human life counts for little. If you wish to live to see your homeland again, Master Acraban, you should not seek the help of the Bakhasians. Better by far to keep your work hidden from their eyes.’
‘But, my lord,’ replies Acraban, ‘what of your kingdom? Are you prepared to surrender your birthright to Baron Sadanzo?’
‘No, never!’ retorts Karvas, suddenly angered by the wizard's suggestion. ‘There are twenty-one days yet before the feast of Harvestmas. With the blessing of the gods, I vow I shall be in Seroa on that day to claim my ascendance.’
The Prince proposes to set off for Seroa on foot. He says that he will go alone and that you should stay here to help Acraban restore the Starstrider, returning with him to Sommerlund once the repairs are complete. Politely you refuse his proposal. You have vowed to Lone Wolf that you will carry out your mission and, despite adversity, you will not abandon your duty. It is a matter of Kai honour that you should escort him to Seroa.
Turn to 124.
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Page 124: The Prince smiles when you refuse to let him attempt the long journey to Seroa alone.
‘Very well, Grand Master,’ he says. ‘So be it. In truth, I could not hope for a more worthy companion on the road ahead. Come, let us plan our way as best we can.’
Acraban has one of his men fetch his compass and charts from the skyship to help you to determine the swiftest route overland to Seroa. You quickly establish your present location and suddenly you realize how difficult the journey ahead will be. Seroa lies over 1,200 miles to the east, beyond mountains, plains, and uncharted wilderness. You calculate that in order to reach the city in time you must cover no less than 60 miles every day.
‘On foot, across such harsh terrain … it is impossible,’ says Acraban, shaking his head.
‘Perhaps so,’ replies Karvas, ‘but if we had horses then it could be done.’
You scan the surrounding forest and let your Kai senses wander afar. ‘There are no horses in this timberland, my lord,’ you say, certain in the knowledge that your judgement is correct. Karvas acknowledges your skill with a wry smile.
‘I take great pride in my magical powers,’ interjects Acraban, jovially, ‘but even I, my lord, cannot summon horses from out of the air. Where, pray tell, do you hope to find mounts with strength enough to carry you all the way home?’
Karvas turns his eyes to the east and says: ‘Why, in Bakhasa, of course. Mark you, the citizens of that foul city will not help us out of the goodness of their hearts, of that we can be sure. But they have horses—strong Bhanarian stallions. Perhaps, Grand Master, we shall be able to borrow a pair?’
You laugh with Prince Karvas at the audacity of his plan and you feel your spirits rise. A long and dangerous journey lies ahead, yet you are impressed by the Prince's courage and determination and you feel confident once more that your mission can succeed. Acraban also approves. He and his men will stay and restore the Starstrider and then fly back to Toran as soon as they are able.
Mindful that time is not your ally, you gather your Weapons and equipment together in readiness to leave. After bidding farewell to Acraban and his crewmen, you set off with Prince Karvas into the great forest, heading east. The vast timberland is rich with game, roots, and berries, and you are able to hunt and gather food on the move (you gather enough for 2 Meals). By noon you have made good progress and have reached the eastern fringe of the forest. Beyond lies an undulating plain that gradually descends towards a wide river. To the northeast, sitting astride this river, you glimpse the dark outline of a city.
‘That's Bakhasa,’ says Karvas, confidently. You magnify your vision and estimate it to be no more than 30 miles distant. ‘With luck, we should make it there by midnight.’
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 35.
If it is 5–9, turn to 220.
We got a 1.
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Page 35: The rolling plain to the west of Bakhasa is a bleak and barren steppe, devoid of flora yet studded with countless thousands of sawn-off tree stumps. Once this region was part of the Great Forest of Kelderwood, but in recent times the ruler of Bhanar, Autarch Sejanoz, has commanded the Bakhasians to harvest the forest's valuable hardwood and dispatch it downstream to feed the insatiable needs of the imperial shipyards of Otavai. Travelling on foot, the stumps do not obstruct your progress and you are able to press on until late in the afternoon. As you are cresting a ridge of high ground, you spot a troop of horsemen escorting a line of wagons laden with timber. They are less than a mile distant and they appear to be heading towards a settlement on the banks of the River Tehda. You wait and watch them until they are dots on the horizon before continuing your trek towards the city of Bakhasa.
You are within 20 miles of Bakhasa when dusk begins to darken the gloomy sky. Karvas requests that you stop to rest awhile before making a final push for the city. You are feeling hungry after your long day's march and you agree readily. (Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.) You are about to resume your trek when your Kai Sixth Sense alerts you to the sound of approaching horses and wagons. You are scanning the surrounding hills when suddenly a dozen riders appear from behind a ridge to the north. They are escorting two wagons filled with sleepy timber workers returning to their settlement after a day's labour. You signal to Karvas to hide himself as they approach along a cleared trail which passes within 20 yards of your position. The horsemen canter past ahead of the wagons, but one of the riders who is following behind suddenly leaves the track and steers his horse through the stumps towards your position. Fearing that you may have been spotted, you signal to Prince Karvas to split up and find a new hiding place. Silently you watch as the horseman is slowed to a halt by a dense cluster of tree stumps. He dismounts and abandons his mare in order to continue his search on foot. He draws his sword as he passes close to where you are hiding, but he does not see you. As he moves away, you see that his horse does not follow. She stays to crop some sickly weeds at the base of a tree stump barely 10 yards from where you are lying. Hanging from her saddle are a bulging leather satchel, an axe, and a coil of rope.
If you wish to attempt to look inside the horse's saddlebag, turn to 145.
If you decide to remain hidden among the tree stumps, turn to 287.
Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
3DS FC: 0817-3759-2788
Sure why not... you know it'll get us into a fight.
Nintendo ID: Incindium
PSN: IncindiumX
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.
Turn to 54.
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Page 54: Karvas rises from among the tree stumps and hurries back to join you. Together you watch the departing wagons and horsemen until they are no more than dots on the horizon before you continue your trek towards the city of Bakhasa.
Night falls within an hour of you resuming your trek, yet the distant lights of Bakhasa and its surrounding settlements enable you to stay on course and maintain an impressive pace. The city is lit by hundreds of fiery beacons which mark the outline of its ancient perimeter wall and angular watchtowers. These fires also illuminate the surface of the River Tehda which passes through the centre of Bakhasa. To the south of the city, lines of tethered barges stacked high with logs lie moored along both of its paved banks. Under cover of the night, you are able to move through the outlying settlements without being seen. When at last you hear a bell in the city tolling the midnight hour, you find yourself upon a knoll overlooking a rutted road which approaches Bakhasa's west gate. Using your night vision, you scan the high perimeter wall and note the positions of guards posted around its tiled parapet. They are greatest in number above a wide stone archway where the glimmering river flows out of the city. Prince Karvas is eager to enter the city before dawn and he asks you to choose the way. Aware that it may prove easier to find and take some horses while most of Bakhasa's inhabitants are still asleep, you scan the perimeter wall once more and consider how best you can pass beyond it.
If you wish to attempt to enter Bakhasa by way of its west gate, turn to 311.
If you decide to attempt entry to the city by way of the river arch, turn to 94.
Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
Sure why not.
Nintendo ID: Incindium
PSN: IncindiumX
Page 94: You make your approach to within 40 yards of the gate by means of a road that runs parallel to the fast-flowing river. At this point you leave the road and scurry to take cover behind a pile of logs that are stacked at the river's edge, ready to be loaded aboard a barge which is moored close by. You can see a dozen soldiers patrolling the parapet above the river gate, and each one is clad in a suit of shiny armour made from lacquered steel scales and hardened leather. They are armed with bows, spears, and maces, and their shields display the head of a tiger-like creature baring ferocious fangs. Karvas whispers that it is the emblem of Autarch Sejanoz—the ruler of Bhanar.
For several minutes you observe the guards as they march back and forth with their spears couched on their shoulders. During your watch you discover that the guardsmen are not the only ones who occupy this span. On a tiled ledge running beneath the parapet is a long line of roosting crows. They are resting shoulder-to-shoulder and are almost invisible against the jet-black stonework of the arch. Your careful observations tell you that the guards are alert and observant. It will be difficult to get past these men without being seen. If you are to gain entry to the city by this river route, first you will have to create a diversion to draw away the watchful guards.
If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Elementalism, and wish to use it, turn to 213.
If you possess Magi-magic, and wish to use it, turn to 71.
If you possess neither of these skills, or if you choose not to use them, turn to 109.
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Page 213: You look to the nearby barge, with its cargo of logs strapped to its deck, and a bold plan forms in your mind. Drawing upon your mastery of Elementalism, you cause one of these canvas straps to ignite spontaneously. Rapidly the fire burns through the strap and, with a thunderous roar, five of the heavy logs roll off the deck and splash into the river. Sped along by the swift current, they ram into other barges moored downstream and punch holes through their hulls at the waterline. When the guards on the parapet see one of the barges sinking, they raise the alarm and muster a rescue party to attempt to save its valuable cargo.
Under cover of the sudden commotion, you and Karvas creep towards the river arch and pass beneath it without being seen.
Turn to 304.
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Page 304: Beyond the arch is a narrow brick walkway which borders the river. You hurry along this unlit footpath until you come to a flight of steps that lead to a flagstoned loading area 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.
Soon you come to a stone bridge that traverses the River Tehda. You hurry across and enter a wide avenue which leads to the city's east quarter. Grimy two-storey houses of carved hardwood pass by on either side, silent behind their bolts and shutters. At the end of the avenue you almost collide with a patrol of armed guards which is marching towards the river, and hurriedly you are forced to take cover in a timber yard to avoid being seen. You watch the ten-strong patrol as it marches past, and note that these men are clad in black quilted tunics with wide silk leggings, and they are armed with curved swords and hand-axes. They are almond-eyed and they all have shiny black hair tied in a knot at the nape of their necks. Their leader, a stocky bull-necked sergeant, wears the emblem of Sejanoz emblazoned upon a scarlet armband. Patiently you wait for them to reach the river but, when they do, you see another patrol come marching along the avenue from the opposite direction. The east quarter of Bakhasa is a busy place, even at this late hour. Rather than risk being seen and captured, you decide to remain hidden here in the timber yard and attempt to get a few hours' sleep before dawn.
Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 340.
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Page 340: You are woken at daybreak by the rattling sound of heavy chains and the mechanical thumping and buzzing of a steam-driven sawmill. The fearful noise is almost deafening, yet it fails to awaken Karvas who is sleeping deeply after yesterday's tiring trek. You let him sleep on for another hour before you are forced to awaken him. A trio of rugged timber workers have arrived in an ox-drawn wagon to collect logs for transportation to the river barges. Unfortunately, they have decided to take the logs behind which you are hiding. As they busy themselves fixing hooks and chains, you and Karvas slip aboard their wagon and cover yourselves with a tarpaulin. Once the loading is complete, the men take their seats at the front of the wagon and set off for the river.
Through a rent in the oily canvas sheet you watch the drab houses and streets of Bakhasa filing past. The wagon slows as it approaches the city's main bridge, and then it comes to an unexpected halt. A black-clad guardsman appears and you hear him say to the driver that he wants to inspect his cargo. The driver argues with the guard, insisting that he be allowed to continue on his way. Fearing that you may be detected if the guard prevails, you and Karvas slip away from the wagon and hurry into the ruins of a warehouse close by.
From the cover of this derelict warehouse you watch the soldiers and citizens of Bakhasa going about their daily business. Only twenty days remain before Harvestmas, and as the hours tick by, you become uncomfortably aware that time is running out. With 1,200 miles yet to cover, you know that the success or failure of your mission now hinges on your being able to find some sturdy horses. Throughout the long day you observe the traffic of people who are using the surrounding streets, yet rarely do you see any on horseback.
On the north side of the warehouse there stands a domed building with an adjoining bell-tower. As dusk approaches, you propose to Karvas that you should try to reach the top of this tower. Using your keen sight you will get a better view of the city from there and, with luck, you may be able to locate the nearest stables. The Prince agrees to your plan. He will remain here in the warehouse while you attempt to gain access to the bell-tower. Night is closing and, as you wait for the streets to empty, you study the building opposite and determine two ways by which you may enter its tower: by a side door at street level, or by an open window in the second storey of the tower.
If you wish to try to enter the building by the side door, turn to 154.
If you choose instead to attempt to climb the tower wall and enter through the open window, turn to 271.
Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
Seconded
Nintendo ID: Incindium
PSN: IncindiumX
Podcast WHORING: Episodes 2-8 (Thanks Zonghui)
As soon as the procession has entered, the doors are closed and the bell ceases to toll. Shaken but undeterred by what you have witnessed, you leave the warehouse and hurry across the street towards the base of the tower.
If you possess Kai-alchemy, turn to 228.
If you do not possess this skill, turn to 175.
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Page 228: You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell—Levitation—and feel your feet leaving the dusty street as you ascend effortlessly towards the second-storey window. When you draw level with the window you counter the spell and step through its tall frame onto a stone stairway beyond. This circular staircase leads to the top of the tower which commands a magnificent view of the city. Aided by your night vision, you are able to locate stables less than a mile to the north of the tower. You commit their location to memory and then hurriedly you descend the stairs and return to the window. Once more you use your Brotherhood magic, this time to slow your descent as you step through to the street below.
Prince Karvas is delighted to hear that there are stables in the city, and he insists that you set off for them at once. He is leading the way out of the warehouse ruins when suddenly the tower bell begins to toll once more. Moments later, the temple doors swing open and the procession of black-clad figures file out into the street. Instinctively you take hold of Karvas by the arm and pull him back into the ruins to avoid being seen by the emerging soldiers. As they pass by, you peer around the edge of the crumbling warehouse doorway to watch them. A strange feeling of unease makes the skin on the back of your neck prickle, and immediately you sense that all is not what it seems. When you magnify your vision to take a closer look at the passing figures, you gasp with shock at what you see.
Turn to 100.
Hey hey, finally levitating without injuring ourselves :P
______________________
Page 100: The Bakhasian soldiers have undergone a dramatic transformation. Before they entered the temple their skin had the yellowy hue of tallow and their hair was silky black. Now their faces and hands are ghostly white, their hair has turned steely grey, and the pupils of their red-rimmed eyes have changed to a pale translucent amber. The sight of their gaunt faces chills your heart; they look more like animated corpses than living men.
The procession leaves the temple at a funereal pace. At the rear of the column you can see four Bakhasians carrying a platform on their shoulders on which rests an elaborate shrine. It is fashioned from gold and jewels and has been crafted into the likeness of a tiger's head. Two huge ivory fangs protrude from its jaw and its jewelled eyes glow with a flickering scarlet fire. You notice that the tiger-like shrine resembles the emblem of Sejanoz which is embroidered upon the sleeves of the soldiers' padded black tunics. As the platform-bearers draw level with the warehouse doorway, the head of the tiger shrine slowly rotates in your direction and two pencil-thin beams of red light shoot from its eyes. You duck back behind the doorway but you know that it is too late—the shrine has detected your presence and it is alerting the cadaverous soldiers to your hiding place. Your Sixth Sense informs you that it is the goodly aura of your Kai Weapon that has activated the shrine and betrayed your position.
When you hear one of the platform-bearers shouting an order, you tell Karvas to get ready to run. You chance a glance around the doorway and your worst fears are confirmed when you see three Bakhasians advancing swiftly towards the warehouse. They are carrying what appear to be hollow, stubby spears that are connected by metallic piping to cylindrical backpacks. One of the advancing soldiers sees you and a puff of bubbling steam gushes from the tip of his spear. In the next instant, a solid projectile smashes through the warehouse wall, leaving a ragged hole in the brickwork less than a hand's breadth from your head.
You and Karvas scramble across the rubble-strewn floor towards an open portal on the far side of the derelict warehouse. As you reach this exit, you hear the hiss and thump of another projectile being launched at your fleeing backs.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you possess Assimilance, add 2. If your current ENDURANCE score is 20 or higher, add 1.
If your total score is now 0–4, turn to 24.
If it is 5–7, turn to 223.
If it is 8 or higher, turn to 307.
We got a 9+3 = 12.
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Page 307: As you are leaping through the portal, the projectile whistles past within inches of your head and slams into the brick wall of an alleyway running alongside the warehouse. With the Bakhasians close on your heels, you signal to Karvas to follow your lead as you make a hurried escape along the passage towards an adjoining torchlit street.
Turn to 88.
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Page 88: When you reach the end of the passageway, you stop for a few moments to recover and take stock of your perilous situation. Your pursuers have entered the alleyway behind you and you can hear them running towards the street. You see another alley, sandwiched between two tall buildings on the opposite side, and you tell Karvas to follow as you hurry towards it. You are halfway across the street when suddenly a second group of Bakhasians appears. They have circled around the warehouse in an attempt to cut off your escape. Moments later, the four shrine-bearers arrive with their tiger-head idol still hoisted upon their shoulders. Your Sixth Sense tells you that this idol is helping them to follow your trail. If you are to make a successful escape from these ghoulish soldiers, you must do something to disrupt the idol's power.
If you possess a Bow, and wish to use it, turn to 345.
If you possess Kai-alchemy, and wish to use it, turn to 242.
If you possess Magi-magic, and wish to use it, turn to 138.
If you possess Elementalism, and wish to use it, turn to 291.
If you possess neither a Bow, nor any of these Grand Master Disciplines (or if you choose not to use any of them), turn to 18.
Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf
LoL EU West nickname: Irridan
Nintendo ID: Incindium
PSN: IncindiumX
Page 242: You recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and extend your right arm towards the nearest shrine-bearer. A crackling arc of magical energy leaps from your fingers and strikes the man in the chest, knocking him to the ground. As he releases his grip of the platform, it tilts over and the tiger-head idol tumbles from its wooden base. It hits the cobblestones with a mighty crash, breaks in two, and releases a whirling cone of red flame from its hollow core that engulfs the remaining bearers. In the blink of an eye the three men are transformed into smouldering heaps of ash.
Cries of fear and outrage echo along the street as the Bakhasian soldiers witness the deaths of their comrades and the destruction of their unholy symbol. Before they can gather themselves and give chase, you and Karvas rush across the street and make a hasty escape along the dark alleyway beyond.
Turn to 180.
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Page 180: Word of the shrine's destruction spreads quickly. Within minutes of your escape, the sleeping city is rudely awakened by a cacophony of alarm bells and discordant horns. Search parties are mustered and soon the major avenues of the city echo to a new sound—the tramp of vengeful patrols dispatched to track you down. By using your advanced Kai tracking skills and taking care to avoid the main thoroughfares, at length you are able to reach the stables that you saw from the top of the temple bell-tower. From the cover of a cart parked across a square from its double-gated entrance, you observe the building and the passing patrols and wait patiently for the commotion to die down.
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.
If you possess a Tehda Key, turn to 136.
If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 274.
Hurrah for our obsessive pilfering!
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Page 136: 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' door. When you are sure that you have not been seen, you pull back the bolts and insert the key into the lock. With a prayer to Ishir on your lips that this is the correct key, you turn it in the keyhole. Your prayer is answered: the key unlocks the door. You push open the heavy portal and hurry through it into a courtyard beyond.
Turn to 190.
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Page 190:The courtyard is bounded on three sides by paddocks, tack rooms, and an equestrian training park. There are only two guards on duty here inside the compound, the others having been called upon to assist the patrols that are out searching the city. They are both asleep at their posts and you have no difficulty tiptoeing past them and entering the paddocks where the horses are stabled.
You search the stalls and soon discover two black Bhanarian stallions of magnificent quality and breeding. They will make ideal mounts for you and Prince Karvas. These intelligent animals respond readily to your Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control and they remain calm and composed as you hurriedly fix their saddles and bridles. As you are leading them out into the courtyard, you stop to unbuckle a sword belt from the belly of a sleeping guard. Prince Karvas is unarmed and you are sure he will appreciate this weapon more than its present owner.
You lead the horses across the courtyard and as you approach the stables' main doors, you mount one of them and fix the reins of the other to your stirrup. Then you kick open one of the double doors and urge your horse forward at the gallop.
The guards outside are taken completely by surprise. As they fumble to unsheathe their swords, you race across the square and wave to Karvas who is waiting patiently for your signal. The Prince leaps up from behind the cart and comes running towards the spare horse. He is getting ready to leap for its saddle when a gruff cry alerts you to danger. A patrol has entered the square and their officer is commanding his sergeant to fire at you with his bow.
If you possess Kai-surge, turn to 172.
If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 313.
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Page 172: You launch a pulse of mental energy at the archer and it sears his mind (use of this Grand Master Discipline costs you 1 ENDURANCE point). The man screams and recoils from the sudden pain that has invaded his head. As he falls backwards, he releases his arrow and it arcs through the air to shatter uselessly against the wall of the stables.
Karvas leaps into the saddle and you toss him the reins. With a cry of elation, you wheel your horse about and spur him towards an avenue on the east side of the square. You and the Prince gallop side by side along this broad thoroughfare as fast as your mounts will carry you, trampling any Bakhasian who is foolish enough to stand in your way. The road leads directly to the city's east gate where a bell is tolling loudly. A crowd of militiamen have gathered at the gate, summoned from their beds by the alarm, but they are without their officer and in the chaos and confusion they have forgotten to close the gate. They scatter in all directions as you thunder along the avenue towards them and you are able to escape through the open archway without challenge.
Whooping with excitement, you race away from Bakhasa along a dusty trail that heads towards the foothills of the Dammerdon Mountains. You glance to your side and see Prince Karvas punch the air victoriously. Clearly he is as excited by this daring escape as you are; he has a grin fixed to his sweat-streaked face that stretches from ear to ear.
The strong Bhanarian stallions carry you swiftly into the foothills and never once do they falter in their stride nor slacken their impressive pace. Only when you can no longer see the lights of Bakhasa do you let them slow to a canter. For more than an hour you travel the trail as it meanders through pine-covered hills and shallow valleys. The night sky is clear and the way ahead is illuminated by bright starlight. When you come to a shallow ford that crosses a fast-flowing stream, you stop here awhile to let your horses drink their fill.
Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 323.
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Page 323: While the horses are drinking, you laugh with Karvas when you recall the startled faces of the militiamen as you galloped through their dithering ranks at Bakhasa's east gate, and you take the opportunity to give him the sword and belt that you took from the sleeping guard at the Tehda Stables. He smiles as he buckles it on his hip and then he unsheathes the blade to gauge its weight and balance.
‘Not the best steel I've ever handled,’ he muses, ‘but better than no steel at all. I'm indebted to you, Grand Master.’17
It is an hour past midnight and the passing of another day rekindles thoughts of the road ahead. With only nineteen days to Harvestmas, the city of Seroa still seems a very long way away. But you draw some comfort from the fact that you now have two fine stallions. They are sure to make the long road seem far shorter. You are admiring them when suddenly they stop drinking and become agitated. You scan the surrounding trees yet you detect nothing untoward. Then you hear the sound of approaching hoofbeats and you curse yourself for being complacent.
‘I should have known they would not let us get away with two horses as fine as these,’ you say, as hurriedly you and Karvas climb back into the saddle. You urge your horses across the ford and, as you take to the trail beyond, you look over your shoulder to see half a dozen armed Bakhasians come galloping along the trail towards the stream. They are led by a warrior who is sheathed from head to toe in shiny black armour and he holds a metal staff raised in his gauntleted hand. Beyond the stream the trail narrows as it ascends into the forested hills.
As you reach the crest of a ridge, you glance back to see that your pursuers are gaining on you. The leader aims his staff and a ball of flame hurtles from its tip to come streaking between you and the Prince. This fiery missile fails to strike its target, but the heat and noise of its passing startles Karvas' horse. The Prince controls his mount with admirable skill, yet in so doing he loses speed and is soon left trailing over 100 yards behind. You wave to him, urging him frantically to catch up, and he signals to you to ride on. When you turn to look at the trail ahead, you are shocked to see that it is now blocked by a burning tree. The fiery missile has struck and felled a pine and ignited its inflammable sap. As you gallop towards this blazing trunk, your heart sinks when you see that it blocks the narrow trail: there is no clear way around it.
If you wish to attempt to jump your horse over this blazing pine trunk, turn to 204.
If you decide to rein in your horse and turn to face your pursuers, turn to 60.
Black Desert: Family Name: Foolery. Characters: Tome & Beerserk.
(Retired) GW2 Characters (Fort Aspenwood): Roy Gee Biv
(Retired) Let's Play: Lone Wolf