[Let's Play] Blood Sword III - The Demon's Claw

[SGamerz]

Welcome to the Gamebook LP thread of Book 3 of the Blood Sword series!



I can't post the back-cover blurb for this book, because I don't have the back cover. This is the only book in the series that I don't actually own the hardcopy., but I do have the pdf version, which allows me to continue running this LP. As you cab probably guess, this book mainly involves the heroes travelling to look for the final piece of the Blood Sword - the blade. The adventure starts in a city called Crescentium, but there's a lot of travelling, and interesting locale. There also seems to a pretty strong "Arabian Nights" flavor in the settings of this book.

The rules are pretty much still the same as the previous two books. Here are the little things that have changed about our heroes, starting with, of course, the fact that they've all gained another rank! So what have they gained?

Warrior:
Awareness: +1
Damage: raised to 2 Dice
Endurance: +6

Trickster:
Psychic Ability: +1
Damage: Damage raised by +1
Endurance: +6

Sage:
Psychic Ability: +1
Awareness: +1
Damage: Damage raised by +1
Endurance: +5

Enchanter:
Fighting Prowess: +1
Damage: Damage raised by +1
Endurance: +5

Yeah, the Enchanter actually gained back an FP point. Not that it's going to do him any good in combats, he still not going to hit anything with a sword....but at least he won't be cutting off his own foot by accident now.

Now let's take a look at their stating equipment:

If you are playing with a character from Book Two, you already know what equipment you have. You can also add ___ gold pieces to the money you already have.

I blanked out the number of gold because it's different for every character.

Warrior and Enchanter gets an extra 25 gold.

Trickster understandably gets more: 35!

Sage unfortunately gets less: 15.

Which adds up to a total of 100.

Since the Warrior and the Enchanter are already carrying almost-full purses, and the Trickster has no free slots at the moment, I'll give the 100 gold to the Sage for now. I know you'd probably prefer to have just one person carrying it to save equipment space anyway, but so let me know if you wants to change this.

If you used up your arrows in Book Two, you may assume you have replaced them in the interval before this adventure begins.

So the Sage starts with a full quiver of 6 arrows once more.

Here's a map of the areas our heroes may be traversing:



And as usual, a new glossary to provide some information on the books backgrounds and settings:

GLOSSARY:

Akaabah -- 'The Illuminate'. In the Ta'ashim faith, Akaabah was chosen by God to preach His message to the world. (Gatanades, the Saviour of the True Faith, is recognised in Ta'ashim as one of Akaabah's forerunners - making the two religions closer than most people will admit.)

the Blasting -- The demon-spawned disaster in which Spyte was laid to ruin and the True Magi were killed. After this holocaust, which lasted for three days and nights, Spyte was left isolated by a deep chasm. Many believe that this goes right down to the fires of Hell.

the Coradian Sea -- The sea around whose shores are located the richest ports and cities of the world. 'Coradian' is also used as a collective adjective for the countries of the True Faith - Algandy, Chaubrette, Kurland, the New Selentine Empire, Asmuly and Emphidor - surrounding this sea.

Coradians -- In Outremer, a blanket term used for anyone of northern blood to distinguish them from the native Ta'ashim.

the Crusade -- The war against the Ta'ashim, waged by the Coradians ostensibly for religious reasons. Certain parties (the merchants of Ferromaine, the Selentine Church, etc) have found the Crusade very profitable, however, and are active in trying to whip up religious fervour in the north in order to further their own ends.

Ferromaine -- The richest port of the Coradian coast.

Krarth -- A large country in the far north of Legend, divided into several dozen separate states each of which is ruled over by a Magus. It is divided from the civilised lands around the Coradian Sea by a deep rift valley which cuts through the Coradian continent from eastern to western shore. A cold and inhospitable country, full of ancient and xenophobic traditions, Krarth is avoided by most merchants from other lands.

Legend -- The mortal world; Midgard, or Middle-Earth.

the Marijah Sect -- A society of assassins who follow an unorthodox branch of Ta'ashim. The Marijahs have a secret fortress in the wilderness east of the Harogarn Mountains and are thought to use 'astral gates' to come and go as they please.

Outremer -- [pronounced oo-tre mair] The Principalities of the Crusade, being those areas of Ta'ashim territory which have been captured by the armies of the True Faith.

the Old Man of the Mountains -- The leader of the Marijah Sect. He is mentioned in documents dating back at least a hundred years. If these accounts all refer to the same individual then he must be one of the long-lived Adepts of Ta'ashim mysticism.

Selentium -- The capital of the Old Selentine Empire which once comprised most of the western world. After the fall of the Old Empire seven hundred years ago, Selentium has risen to a new importance as the centre of the True Faith.

Spyte -- The 'holy city' of the True Magi, who convened there every seven years in order to commune with the gods of Krarth. Today it stands in ruin, atop a pinnacle of rock in the middle of a vast rift in the earth ('the Cauldron').

Ta'ashim -- The name given to the religion and peoples of the southern lands, in the area that was once the empire of Kaikuhuru. The countries of Ta'ashim are Marazid, Zhenir, Harogarn and Opalar.

the True Faith -- The principal religion of modern Legend.

the True Magi -- The original rulers of Krarth, wizards of unimaginable power, who were all slain in the Blasting of Spyte centuries ago. Five of the True Magi sent their spirits out of Spyte as the cataclysm began. These five, now identified with shooting stars in the night sky over Krarth, are Red Death, Gift Star, Plague Star, Blue Moon and White Light.

Now we proceed straight to Section 1, where there are a few more instructions about our equipment:

More than two years have passed since your adventures in the Kingdom of Wyrd. All players who were suffering from wounds at the end of Book Two can now restore their Endurance scores to normal. Any player who had lost his or her armour or weaponry has managed to replace it in the interim. This includes arrows in the case of a Sage or a Trickster.

You have two special items: the hilt and scabbard of the fragmented Sword of Life - the weapon known in popular folklore as the Blood Sword. You can pass these from one player to another (in a multi-player party) but you must never discard either of them. If at any point in this adventure you lose either the hilt or the scabbard - in other words, if they are lost to the whole party - turn to 475. Their enchantment is all that now protects you from the last of the True Magi, who constantly seek to prevent you from finding the third and final fragment: the blade. If you can locate the blade then you will be able to make the Blood Sword whole again. Its power is the only thing the True Magi fear.

It is to find the blade that you have roamed the world these wearying years. In the north you met a wise woman who told you the blade was somewhere in Outremer, the Crusader lands. Now your quest has brought you to the southern outpost of Coradian civilisation: the city of Crescentium...

So, good news, the Trickster regains the sword that he dropped in the last book. He can also regain the bow and arrows if he wishes. I know he prefers to leave the archery work to the Sage, so I haven't added them to his equipment (and also because there's no space left) but if he wants to get either of them he'd need to drop some things to make space.

He also finally regains his +2 leather armour, so that he can finally return that worn ringmail to the Sage (who can drop that crappy breastplate).

The Enchanter can also regain a sword, but I can think of no reason why he'd want it. I'd have added it to the list, but his equipment list is already over-loaded as it is, so I won't unless he says wants to drop something for it.

Presumably, the Sage and Enchanter also got cured of Soulbite and Malaria respectively within he past 2 years.

We also need to appoint someone to carry the Blood Sword Hilt. Will it be the Warrior again, or someone else? (I've put it in the Warrior's possession for now, let me know if you wish to change this.)

Take some time to see if you wish to make adjustments to your equipment before I move on:

Adventure Sheets:

WARRIOR:

NAME: Dame Caecilia Wither-Stoat
RANK: 4th

Battle Order: 1

Fighting Prowess: 12 (+1 from Enchanted Sword)
Psychic Ability: 6
Awareness: 7
Endurance: 23/23
Damage: 2 Dice

Items:
1 Enchanted Sword (+1 FP)
2 Chainmail armour (Armour Rating three)
3 Money pouch (98 gold pieces)
4 Silver crucifix (with finger-bone of St Ashanax)
5 Iron Bell
6 Bedroll
7 Shielding Charm (+1 AR)
8 Blood Sword Scabbard
9 Blood Sword Hilt
10 Empty slots

TRICKSTER:

NAME: Benedict of the Crimson Spires, Honourable Duelist
RANK: 4th

Battle Order: 2

Fighting Prowess: 7
Psychic Ability: 7
Awareness: 8
Endurance: 25/25
Damage: 1 Die+2

Items:
1 Sword
2 Studded Leather Armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Golden Snuffbox
4 Jug of Milk
5 Gloves
6 Bedroll
7 Harp
8 Silver Wolf's head clasp
9 Fur Cloak
10 Gilt-edged scroll
*11 Screebo the Raven

SAGE:

NAME: "Pepito" Cascadero, Master of the Mystic Way
RANK: 4th

Battle Order: 3

Fighting Prowess: 7
Psychic Ability: 8
Awareness: 7
Endurance: 21/21
Damage: 1 Die+1

Items:
1 Quarterstaff
2 Ringmail Armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Fur Cloak
4 Bedroll
5 Magic Bow (Damage 1 Die+1)
6 Quiver (6 arrow)
7 Skull Amulet
8 Blue Crystal Eyes
9 Money pouch (100 gold pieces)
10 Empty slot

ENCHANTER:

NAME: Enchanter Reed, Ninth of the Inverted Tower
RANK: 4th

Battle Order: 4

Fighting Prowess: 1
Psychic Ability: 15 (+1 from Ring of Sorcery)
Awareness: 7
Endurance: 21/21
Damage: 1 Die +1

Items:
1 Brazier
2 Silver armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Bedroll
4 Magical Bread Crust of Infinity
5 Fur Cloak
6 Money pouch (88 gold pieces)
7 Ring of Sorcery (+1 PA)
8 Gloves
9 Amber Tinderbox
10 Iron rations (7 days)

[SGamerz]

No objections to the current equipment list? Let's proceed, then:

Crescentium. The first city taken by the Coradian armies in the Crusade, it is a mighty port protected by fortified walls like the flanks of a great armoured dragon. It is from here that the first Crusaders launched their wars against the heathen Ta'ashim, and it is still the greatest port of all Outremer.

Jewelled minarets shimmer in the dusty haze of late afternoon sunlight as you sail into the magnificent harbour and slide in among the vessels at the quay. The scent of exotic spices, incense and hashish fills the air as you step ashore - only to be instantly surrounded by crowds of swarthy beggars vying with one another for your charity.

But you have no charity to spare for men who choose to live like parasites. With a snarl of distaste, you shoulder them aside and start up a steep alleyway leading to the Palatine Area. There you find the Hall of Records and register your arrival in the city before going to find lodging for the night.

Where will you stay? Each player has his or her own contacts here in Crescentium, and in a multi-player group you must agree whose contacts to make use of.

If the Enchanter wishes to suggest a place to stay, turn to 165. If the Sage would like to suggest somewhere, turn to 450. If you wish to consider the Warrior's suggestion, turn to 20. If you would like to look up one of the dubious acquaintances that the Trickster has made in his time, turn to 441.

A rare case where every character has a special option! In this case we can take a look at all of them, since there're options to turn back.....

ENCHANTER:

You have heard of Psyche the Sorceress, a noted practitioner of the arcane arts who lives in a villa on the outskirts of Crescentium. You are not aware of ever having met her personally, but you have some mutual acquaintances. Possibly she would welcome you, possibly not ... There is an unstated tradition of hospitality among wizards, but it is not observed by all.

If the other players (if any) do not object to calling on Psyche, turn to 345. If no agreement can be reached, turn back to 269 and consider the alternatives.

SAGE:

You recall Emeritus of Quadrille, who was an acolyte at the Monastery of Illumination at the same time you were there. After completing his studies, Emeritus became a friar and went on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Ibrahim. You later heard that he settled in Crescentium and started practising as a leech. You feel sure he would welcome you with open arms, as the two of you were firm friends.

If you wish to go and see Emeritus (and, in a multi-player party, everyone must agree together), turn to 173. If you wish to consider the alternatives, return to 269 and choose again.

WARRIOR:

You have not come to Crescentium unprepared. As soon as it became clear that a journey to Outremer was necessary, you had the foresight to obtain a letter of introduction to the Provincial Commander of the Knights Capellars. Those doughty and pious warriors will certainly greet you as an honoured guest!

If all players agree to go to the Capellars, turn to 395. If not, turn back to 269 and try another option.

TRICKSTER:

You have a couple of contacts in Crescentium. Jablo the Knife is an unprincipled and scurrilous rogue - a lot like yourself, in other words. The last you heard, he was living near the jewellers' market. You also once met a man called Lagrestin when you were in Baumersheim; he was selling berths on Crusader ships and had plans to settle in Crescentium as a spice dealer.

If you wish to go and see Jablo, turn to 375. If you would rather try Lagrestin, turn to 33. If all players cannot agree on either of these alternatives, turn back to 269 and choose again.

Five options in total! Who do we contact?

[angelfromanotherpin]

I move that we don't stay with unreliable sorceresses or unprincipled rogues. Emeritus is someone's actual friend, seems cool, probably has Sagely insights to boot, he's my first choice. The Capellars are presumably crypto-Templars, so while they might not be cool guys, they will have good lodgings and probably also leads on local artifacts, second choice.

[Dr_Noface]

When did these gamebooks find religion?

[Darth Rabbitt]

Pepito is in favor of visiting his old college roommate Emeritus.

[Starmaker]

Let's visit Emeritus. Also, if it's not too late, I drop the wolf clasp and the bedroll and pick up the bow and arrows.

[SGamerz]

When did these gamebooks find religion?

There were vague references to the religion and background of the world from the first book but, yeah, it's only from Book 3 onwards when the authors start to include details that seem to invite comparisons to real world religions like Christianity and Islam.

The Trickster drops the clasp and the bedroll for bow and arrows.

You soon learn from passers-by that Emeritus is a famous healer who lives in the street of silversmiths. He seems popular among the native traders you speak to - perhaps because he is willing to treat anyone who is sick, whether or not they have money to pay him.

Dusk is filling the streets with thick shadows as you reach Emeritus's house. Stepping through the open doorway, you are greeted by a slave-girl who explains in halting Beaulangue that Emeritus is visiting a patient outside the city and will not be back till tomorrow. At first she wants you to leave and come back in the morning, but you manage to explain that you have only just arrived in Crescentium and are relying on her master's hospitality.

She shows you to a vestibule where you can sleep and, exhausted as you are after your weeks cramped on board ship, the next thing you know it
is morning.

Emeritus is indeed the only contact that is a genuine friend who will really try to help us in our quest.....but in a way it's a pity you picked him from the start, because we'll always end up meeting him no matter which path we take, so not picking any of the others means that we skipped a lot of potential side-quests. Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing, since bad things may come out of those side-quests.

You awaken to the sounds of bustle in the street outside. It is morning. As you get up to look out of the window, the serving-girl enters with a breakfast of oranges, buttermilk and spiced cakes. Each player (if wounded) recovers Endurance equal to half his or her rank for the night's rest, plus one Endurance point for eating. Round fractions up.

The girl comes back to take the empty tray. 'Emeritus should be back within an hour or so,' she tells you in her lilting-accented Beaulangue. 'I will bring him to see you just as soon as he returns.'

She leads him in to see you shortly before noon. Though obviously weary after a long journey, his clothes covered with the dust of the road, he is overjoyed to see his old friend the Sage again. 'How happy and carefree we were on Kaxos,' he says. 'When the horror of the disease and poverty that are rife in Crescentium weighs too heavily on me, I think back fondly to those glorious days.'

'Ah, but Emeritus,' replies the Sage, ' "the past mind cannot be held, the present mind cannot be held".' Both laugh merrily over this thought, sharing the pleasure of Enlightenment.

After a few further pleasantries, you tell Emeritus you have something to show him. Then you produce the hilt and scabbard. The jewel-encrusted metal glitters in the sunlight. He stares in amazement. 'If I am not mistaken,' he gasps, 'surely these are fragments of the Sword of Life? I believed it was lost, destroyed forever . . .'

Since we came straight here, there's nothing to heal.

Exposition dump upcoming....

'As you may have heard it told,' says Emeritus. 'In the very earliest days of the world there was no way for the living and the dead to tell one another apart. Between Life and Death there was not the absolute line that exists today, but only a kind of inconstant blur. Eventually this became intolerable, so the Archangel Abdiel was sent down to earth and cut apart the place for the living from the place for the dead. He created two icons of this Parting - two great swords of power. One of these, the Sword of Death, remained beneath the earth until brought back from hell by the paladin Ganelon. It is said that he hoped to use it against the very forces of the Dark One, but was corrupted himself by the intensity of its deathly power. Ganelon's eventual fate is well known, and I need not recount it to you, I am sure. The Sword of Death, often referred to as the Demon's Claw, is now thought to be somewhere in Marazid.

The other sword contained within its blade the essence of Life. Speaking for myself, this is a concept I cannot grasp, but many warriors have spoken to me of the mystical concept of the sword that is a force for life even as it dispenses death. That is what the Sword of Life - the "Blood Sword" - embodies. This sword was broken by Yaunt the Seven-Eyed, a fiend from the frozen desert wastes of Krarth. I thought even the fragments had been destroyed or lost forever, but it seems that is not the case.'

'Was the Blood Sword created to destroy the last of the True Magi?' you ask Emeritus.

'Not originally - not according to the version of the myth that I have just recounted. But remember that Truth has more than one shape and speaks with more than one tonuge. If we stand in a river, it is one fed by many tributaries. Some would claim that it was indeed for the express purpose of slaying the True Magi that the sword was forged. It will certainly be able to accomplish that, as Blue Moon and his ilk are of the Undead. I mean this not in the trite sense that Adventurers use the term, when they speak of clattering skeletons and shambling zombies as "undead". Some great entities linger in the world without tasting death, and their undeath is a king of apotheosis. This applies to Heoroweard the Outcast, Vallandar of Ancient Ellesland, the God-King Imref Kharid, vampiric Lord Abraxus, and other figures of myth. The last True Magi belong to this category, and the Blood Sword will sever their link with our reality and send them into the Void.

'Now, if you seek the final part of the Blood Sword, I can only suggest that you go to see a man called Susurrien. He is an Opalarian prince, but is now exiled from Ta'ashim lands. And with good reason - from what I hear, he is as sinister as a snake. However, he is known to desire the Sword of Death for himself, and hence he may be able to give you some information about the Sword of Life. The two are inextricably linked.'

If any player wishes to buy equipment, Emeritus can send his servants out shopping for you. If you ask him to do this, turn to 578. If you are ready to continue your quest, turn to 186.

We can take a look at the equipment list, but there's really nothing we need to get. Again, this is for players who chose alternative contacts earlier and had the bad luck of losing some of their equipment:

You can obtain the following items if you have the money to pay for them. If you are genuinely destitute (with an average of no more than three gold pieces per player), Emeritus will make you a gift of twelve gold pieces. These must be divided equally among all players.

Warrior's armour - 30 gold pieces
Trickster's armour - 10 gold pieces
Sage's armour - 15 gold pieces
Enchanter's armour - 25 gold pieces
Quarterstaff - 1 gold piece
Sword - 8 gold pieces
Bow - 5 gold pieces
Quiver with six arrows - 2 gold pieces
Rations for a week - 2 gold pieces

Once you have given Emeritus's servants the money to make any purchases you need, record the item(s) and turn to 186.

So, yeah, just basic starting equipment. We certainly don't need any rations, either, since we still have that magic bread crust. Still if you want to buy extra sets of anything as backup, feel free.

You make ready to set off at once. 'I am sorry you cannot stay longer,' says Emeritus as he shakes hands with you. 'But obviously your quest must take precedence.'

'Hopefully we will meet again one day,' you reply. 'Many thanks for your hospitality and the help you have given.' You also give a courteous half-bow towards the beautiful Ta'ashim girl, Dhali, who met you when you first arrived. 'And the attentive service of your slave deserves praise, too.'

Emeritus laughs. 'There are no slaves in this house. Dhali is my wife.'

You are a little shocked at this. Respectable Coradians should not, in most people's opinion, mingle intimately with the natives. Nonetheless, you manage to keep your sentiments to yourself and, bowing deeply, you take your leave of them.

Susurrien lives on the far side of the city. It is still early in the day and you are not unduly hurried. As you pass the bazaar, you happen to glance down an alley where you see a veiled Ta'ashim woman being molested by two Thulander merchants.

If you intervene, turn to 362. If you pass by without getting involved, turn to 555.

Do we intervene?

[angelfromanotherpin]

Very yes.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Definitely help out.

[SGamerz]

The Thulanders turn as you approach, but one still holds the woman in a brutish grip. 'What is this interruption?' he snarls at you. 'Can't a couple of guys that're new in town have a bit of fun, eh?'

'Not at somebody else's expense,' you thunder. 'Unhand this lady at once. Ta'ashim or not, she deserves better than to be manhandled by two fatherless rodents like you!'

They didn't like that. You can see you have a fight on your hands now.

The Thulanders wear great axes across their backs, but in the confines of the narrow alley they choose instead to draw the shortswords that hang at their belts.

'You're just diced meat now,' says one nastily.

'Hrothgar's tellin' it like it is,' says the other, nodding.

They advance.



Thulanders
Fighting Prowess: 8 Psychic Ability: 6
Awareness: 7 Damage per blow: 2 Dice+1
Armour Rating: 0
Endurance: 30

If you flee, turn to 161. If you beat them within two rounds, turn to 257. If you are still fighting at the end of two rounds, turn to 443.

Again, I missed out the "flee" word while copying the picture, but it's an option (exit is to the left), not that it's likely you'd need to use that option, of course.

How do we want to do this?

[Starmaker]

Well, I fight, but I definitely count on Reed to fry them on time.

Also, I read Dave Morris's blog, and from what I remember Susurrien is a humongous twatwaffle. I look forward to looting his corpse.

[Shiritai]

Ah darnit, I didn't *technically* have Nemesis Bolt prepared, but can we take that as a given?

Either way, rather than bolt I'll bolt these guys in the face, starting with the guy with highest endurance.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I kinda can't do much this fight. Don't think I can shoot or melee. But I won't run.

[angelfromanotherpin]

I think it's not a good sign that these random merchants have stats that are comparable to mine. Either they're more than they seem, or we're seeing some very annoying villain inflation.

Stab, rinse, repeat.

[SGamerz]

I kinda can't do much this fight. Don't think I can shoot or melee. But I won't run.

There's no reason you can't shoot. The only thing that stops you from shooting is if you are engaged in melee (or are out of arrows, of course!). Otherwise, you can shoot at anything that's not adjacent to you.

I'd assume you'd want to shoot if you could?

Ah darnit, I didn't *technically* have Nemesis Bolt prepared, but can we take that as a given?

Do you want me to assume that Reed will always have that spell in mind at all times unless otherwise stated by you? (meaning I'll automatically have him recall it after every combat if he used it up)

COMBAT LOG:

Round 1 ... FIGHT!

Awareness 8 acts ...

Trickster fights Thulander #2. Roll = 7. (Hit!) Damage = 5+2 = 7. Thulander #2 has 23 EN left.

Awareness 7 acts ...

Warrior fights Thulander #1. Roll = 11. (Hit!) Damage = 8. Thulander #1 has 22 EN left.

Sage shoots Thulander #2. Roll = 10. (Miss!)

Enchanter attempts to cast Nemesis Bolt on Thulander #2. Roll = 2+5 = 7. Success! Damage = 22+7 = 29. Thulander #2 is killed.

Thulander #1 fights Warrior. Roll = 5. (Hit!) Damage = 6+1-3-1 = 3. Warrior has 20 EN left.

Thulander #2 fights Trickster. Roll = 7 + 1 = 8. (Hit!) Damage = 6+1-2 = 5. Trickster has 20 EN left.

Quick Thinking bonus:

Trickster Moves to engage Thulander #1

Round 2

Awareness 8 acts ...

Trickster fights Thulander #1. Roll = 5. (Hit!) Damage = 5+2 = 7. Thulander #1 has 15 EN left.

Awareness 7 acts ...

Warrior fights Thulander #1. Roll = 7. (Hit!) Damage = 8. Thulander #1 has 7 EN left.

Sage shoots Thulander #1. Roll = 8. Miss.

Enchanter calls Nemesis Bolt to mind.

Thulander #1 fights Warrior. Roll = 6. (Hit!) Damage = 9+1-4 = 6. Warrior has 14 EN left.

That's 2 rounds, we didn't manage to finish the second guy off, but it doesn't matter.......

There comes a sudden flash of light, against which you have to shield your eyes. The alley is filled with the stench of sulphur. When your vision has cleared there is no sign of the Thulanders. Their weapons lie scattered at your feet.

The Ta'ashim woman they had accosted is standing a few paces away. You sense a smile under her veil. She holds up two grey rats by the tails, and you see she has just cut their throats with a curved silver knife.

'Fatherless they may have been,' she says with a light musical laugh. 'Rodents, certainly...'

Turns out our help wasn't really needed.

'It was most kind of you to take the trouble to help me,' says the woman in exotically accented Beaulangue. She steps forward, and you notice the heady scent of jasmine that pervades her long robes. She presses a large silver key on you. 'This unlocks the secret doors into my garden,' she says. 'There are many ways there, all over the Ta'ashim world. These words may seem puzzling to you now, but if you are in need of a place to hide, then an ape will guide you to the scented garden of Fatima. Go with God.' She bows and slips past you, silent as silk.

Record Fatima's silver key on your Character Sheet if you intend to keep it. You can also take the Thulanders' battleaxes and shortswords if you wish.

Leaving the alley, you find no sign of Fatima. Shrugging, you continue on your way to meet the mysterious Prince Susurrien.

At least it wasn't a wasted attempt as it got the lady to give us the spare key to her roomgarden.

Let me know which one of you want to carry it (Warrior and Sage have free slots at the moment).

You have been told that Susurrien lives in a room above a butcher's shop. You enter and look towards a stone slab where a bearded giant of a man is dismembering a carcass. His cleaver strikes the raw flesh with remorseless thwacks. As he sees you, his eyes betray no emotion - but the cleaver slips, striking the stone of the slab and giving a metallic shriek.

The bearded man glowers at his chipped cleaver, then nods towards the stairs.

Still no word has been spoken. You pass him and begin to ascend. After a few moments you hear him start to hack at the meat on the slab once more.

The room you enter is plain. A man sits in a wooden chair by the window, drawing occasionally at a tall hooka that stands beside him. The odour of incense masks the charnel stench from the butcher's shop below.

Prince Susurrien turns. His robes rustle - a crisp, silken sound. His chair creaks as he shifts his body to half face you. A limpid red gem glowers like a third eye from the centre of his gold turban. His jewellery and gilt-decorated tunic glitter as they catch a shaft of morning sunlight.

His stare is intense and unnerving. With his swarthily handsome face he looks like a man capable of great passion and cruelty. Then he gestures to the cushions piled against the wall and bids you to sit. Sharp white teeth flash as he smiles. You crouch down on the cushions but your muscles remain tense. The sunlight, passing through the wooden lattice across one window and through the dusty air, casts a host of narrow bright beams across your face. They all appear to radiate from the exiled prince. The spider's web ...? you think, with a wry smile.

'I knew you would come,' he says. His voice is soft and deep, suggesting the quietest beat of an enormous drum. 'You seek the Sword of Life; I, the Sword of Death. By uniting we shall achieve what we desire.'

You don't pretend to like the idea, but there is no alternative. You nod.

'I have here the Hatuli - literally, the Bring-hither.' He holds up a mannikin that looks as if it has been carved from diseased wood. 'It was constructed by the great wizard Sa'aknathur, and my agents found it for me in the ruins of his fortress. If it were operative, it could find the magical swords for us. But it is not.' He sets the mannikin on the floor by his chair, where it waits, lifeless.

'Its eyes are missing,' continues Susurrien. 'They were two tiny emeralds of flawless beauty, and I believe they were prised from the Hatuli's head by Hunguk the Pirate-King when he sacked the fortress. So: your quest will involve stealing them back from Hunguk ...'

You can see a difficulty here. Hunguk the Pirate-King, if he ever lived, must have been dead for five hundred years.

I don't see the difficulty, personally. Any adventurer worth his sword must be pretty expert at stealing things that belonged to long-dead guys. You can pretty much say it's a preliminary requirement of the job. There ought to be some adventuring school that offers it as a compulsory core module.

Susurrien only smiles when you point this out. 'No, he is not truly dead. And not truly alive. Hunguk was too great a man for this world. We are in the last days now, and those who are born and walk the world's face are timid things compared with those mighty heroes of times past.'

'Like King Vallandar, Lord Abraxus, Imref Kharid ...' you add, remembering Emeritus's words.

'Just so. I have heard it said by the scholars of your faith, that Hunguk forfeited his soul for the bloody rapine he committed. They say he is doomed to roam the world till the Hour of All's Ending. I prefer to think he is too great a man for heaven or hell. He has sailed the only course he could: into myth. Many have claimed to see his ship The Devil's Runner bearing down on them from fog or storm. Not all can be liars.'

Susurrien allows a few moments of silence for you take this in, then reaches for a parchment. 'I have prepared this astrological projection to show when and where The Devil's Runner will next appear on the earthly plane. It is a point some sixty miles offshore in the Gulf of Marazid, and two days from now. From my planisphere I know that the Swords of Life and Death are located somewhere in the city of Hakbad. Once you have recovered the emeralds, go there and seek me at the House of the Desert Breeze.'

He turns away. The audience is at an end.

'Have you any suggestions on how to get there?' you ask, rolling the parchment and putting it among your other belongings before heading for the door.

'No,' says Prince Susurrien. 'That is your problem.'

Figures...

This book does love its long exposition dumps.

The butcher falls silent and watches you leave. You make your way from Susurrien's home in a daze. Outside, the crowds flow around you like addies on a vast sea. You glance back to see Susurrien looking down from his window with a slight smile. Perhaps you are foolish to have agreed to obtain the emerald eyes for him - but what choice was there? Without his astrology you could never have hoped to find Hunguk's ship. Even if you stole the Hatuli, you have no idea how it operates. Loathsome though it is, you are forced by Fate to co-operate with the untrustworthy prince. There is a Ta'ashim proverb: When both are hungry for the flesh of the gazelle, even the lion and the serpent will lie in ambush together.

Your wandering brings you to the outskirts of the city proper. Seeing a fishing village in the distance, you head towards it with a view to hiring a small boat. You soon find the village is further than you thought, for you are forced to take a meandering path between a number of low, sealed, stone buildings. The time is now mid-afternoon, and dry dust rises chokingly from the road. As you turn a bend, you come across a man sitting by the roadside drinking from a gourd. He looks up and smiles, greeting you with the words, 'We must swelter in the sun while those who lie in these sepulchres are cool. But they must endure their parched throats, as this wine is only for the living!' He holds up the gourd. 'Will you join me?'

If you accept his invitation, turn to 458. If not, turn to 187.

Wanna drink?

Adventure Sheets:

WARRIOR:

NAME: Dame Caecilia Wither-Stoat
RANK: 4th

Battle Order: 1

Fighting Prowess: 12 (+1 from Enchanted Sword)
Psychic Ability: 6
Awareness: 7
Endurance: 14/23
Damage: 2 Dice

Items:
1 Enchanted Sword (+1 FP)
2 Chainmail armour (Armour Rating three)
3 Money pouch (98 gold pieces)
4 Silver crucifix (with finger-bone of St Ashanax)
5 Iron Bell
6 Bedroll
7 Shielding Charm (+1 AR)
8 Blood Sword Scabbard
9 Blood Sword Hilt
10 Empty slots

TRICKSTER:

NAME: Benedict of the Crimson Spires, Honourable Duelist
RANK: 4th

Battle Order: 2

Fighting Prowess: 7
Psychic Ability: 7
Awareness: 8
Endurance: 20/25
Damage: 1 Die+2

Items:
1 Sword
2 Studded Leather Armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Golden Snuffbox
4 Jug of Milk
5 Gloves
6 Bow
7 Harp
8 Quiver (6 arrow)
9 Fur Cloak
10 Gilt-edged scroll
*11 Screebo the Raven

SAGE:

NAME: "Pepito" Cascadero, Master of the Mystic Way
RANK: 4th

Battle Order: 3

Fighting Prowess: 7
Psychic Ability: 8
Awareness: 7
Endurance: 21/21
Damage: 1 Die+1

Items:
1 Quarterstaff
2 Ringmail Armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Fur Cloak
4 Bedroll
5 Magic Bow (Damage 1 Die+1)
6 Quiver (4 arrow)
7 Skull Amulet
8 Blue Crystal Eyes
9 Money pouch (100 gold pieces)
10 Empty slot

ENCHANTER:

NAME: Enchanter Reed, Ninth of the Inverted Tower
RANK: 4th

Battle Order: 4

Fighting Prowess: 1
Psychic Ability: 15 (+1 from Ring of Sorcery)
Awareness: 7
Endurance: 21/21
Damage: 1 Die +1

Items:
1 Brazier
2 Silver armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Bedroll
4 Magical Bread Crust of Infinity
5 Fur Cloak
6 Money pouch (88 gold pieces)
7 Ring of Sorcery (+1 PA)
8 Gloves
9 Amber Tinderbox
10 Iron rations (7 days)

[Darth Rabbitt]

Ah, I thought you couldn't shoot through a friendly square.

Anyhow I'll take the key. And I don't trust this guy so I'm voting against taking his drink.

[Starmaker]

Yes. If it's poisoned, I hope for class-based blue options.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Do not drink, for the prophet has spoken against wine.

[SGamerz]

You apologise but explain that you must turn down his offer, as you are on a mission of some urgency. He jumps to his feet on hearing this. 'Why, I may be able to help you if that is so,' he says. 'What is the nature of this mission?'

If you are prepared to tell him, turn to 76. If you insist that you must be on your way, turn to 314.

If we didn't trust him enough to take his drink, do we trust him enough to tell him anything about the mission?

[Darth Rabbitt]

Now I'm suspecting the drink was a test, and this guy is actually trustworthy. Tell him about our quest.

[Shiritai]

Despite having absolutely no description of this dude... sure, let's spill our guts.

[SGamerz]

'In order to rendezvous with a certain vessel, it is important to find some way to get sixty miles out into the Gulf. The rendezvous is to take place in two days' time.' You withhold any details that might reveal the full nature of your quest. Since you do not know who the man is, the precaution seems worth taking.

'How fortunate you have spoken of this to me,' he replies, 'for I truly believe that your quest would have been doomed to failure if you had not. You see, it is well known that at this time of year the Gulf is frequented by a gargantuan sea monster called the Dendan. Fishermen are frightened of high waves, and cling to the shore as a babe to its mother's breast. You would never have found anyone willing to lend you his boat for such a venture.'

His effusive words make you suspicious. If you ask him to explain how he can help, turn to 113. If you decide to bid him good afternoon and continue on your way, turn to 314.

Do we want to hear more?

[Darth Rabbitt]

Assuming they don't interpret "hear more" as "we automatically accept" then yes.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Obvious con man is obvious. Good day, sir!

[Starmaker]

The guy wants us to rob those graves/crypts/whatnot for him, then betray us. As long as we expect to be betrayed, I think we'll be ok. Listen to him.