[Let's Play] Rider of the Black Sun

[pragma]

south, east, west, north, east, south. Came to that by trying to pick black spots on the figure with the number of points 1-6.

[angelfromanotherpin]

South.

814     You have just flown into the earth sector of the defense ring.

If you are in the third, fourth, or fifth COMBAT ROUND, turn to 831.
If not, turn to 815.

815     You have found a breach in the defenses of the Kar pyramid. The flashes of light shoot to the sky in other sectors and spare you.

Turn to 777.

Back at 777 we advance to round 2 and head East.

787     You have just flown into the earth sector of the defense ring.

If you are in the first, fourth, or sixth COMBAT ROUND, turn to 831.
If not, turn to 815.

815 is just the success entry again, which sends us back to 777 for round 3, where we head West.

809     You have just flown into the water sector of the defense ring.

If you are in the second, fifth, or sixth COMBAT ROUND, turn to 831.
If not, turn to 815.

Back to the hub for round 4, then North.

826     You have just flown into the air sector of the defense ring.

If you are in the third, fifth, or sixth COMBAT ROUND, turn to 831.
If not, turn to 815.

At which point it is clear that your analysis is in fact correct and going East and then South will get us through the beam untouched.

821     Finally! The light cannons have ceased their assault. You have overcome the pyramid's defense system. But you do not trust the calm. Cautiously, you are letting Kyrna glide towards the gleaming tip of the ancient building when it opens like a blossom to reveal a golden platform.
The entrance to the Kar temple is open to you!

If Kyrna's VITALITY has been reduced by at least one level while defeating the defense system, turn to 797.
If she is unhurt, turn to 849.

849     It is a miracle that Kyrna has survived the assault unhurt. You thank the gods and proudly stroke the feathers on the strong neck of your dragon.

"Keșra, your skills become more and more impressive," Kyrna commends you telepathically as well. Deep trust fills your heart.
Your RIDER RANK rises to Dragon Familiar!
Make the necessary change on your adventure sheet.

Turn to 840.

Unfortunately, the next stretch of text is very long and I don't have time this morning. Continued soon...

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 10, DEXTERITY: 8, VITALITY: Critical (1/5)
KARMA: 5, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +5 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband

Utensils (max 6):
1: Star Stone (+3 Vitality)
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Ahimsa

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Hurt (2/4)
Rank: Ally (2/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)

[angelfromanotherpin]

Oh boy, there's a lot here I want to comment on. I don't want to break up the sheer size of this infodump, so I'm using footnotes. I'll be ignoring most of the clumsy language nitpicks, because I can't tell which are bad writing and which are just translation stnanks.

840     No sooner have you flown through the open top of the Kar temple than the portal closes behind you with a metallic groan. Only the whoosh of Kyrna's beating wings and their delayed echo can be heard in the darkness. Unsure, you hold your position until somewhere far below you, you can see some isolated lights. They cast a flickering glow on a smooth black shimmering wall whose base must lie far below the level of the ash surrounding the pyramid.

As Kyrna slowly circles down, the Kar sanctum reveals itself as a smooth endless shaft of rock extending vertically, mile after mile, into the dark bowels of the world. When Kyrna finally sets her broad paws on the ground of the Kar temple after such a long descent, you stare up in awe. From here below, despite its gigantic dimensions, the shaft looks like the tiny eye of a needle. You hear footsteps coming closer. Surprised, you turn around and stare into the childlike eyes of a girl, tall and slender, clad in wisps of fine velvet. Pure white hair plays around her perfect face like a silk curtain, behind which you see a charming smile.

"Keșra, we greet you!"

It is a simple greeting, but these four words suffice to wipe away your fear. The girls' innocent appearance and gentle voice bestow on her a divine presence that seems to embrace you. Even Kyrna, who has just aggressively bared her teeth, now lies down with a low grumble.

"We are happy that you have followed your destiny."

"Who are you?" you ask with a trembling voice.

"We are Seren," the girl answers telepathically. The sound of her strange name echoes in your mind. Then she floats towards Kyrna with graceful ease, leaning her head against the dragon's skull and stroking her curved horn. Both remain thus in a moment of peace. "Your journey was long and hard," Seren says sadly. "You surely have many questions."

"Oh, yes!" The words burst out of you in your impatience. You feel that this pure girl, this divine being, can answer all of your questions. Before you can continue, Seren begins with a small history lesson.

"In the beginning, there was only the void. But then the world shook. From its depths the untamable beating of two hearts resounded. Filled with curiosity and power, the divine siblings rose from the Innermost and conquered Heaven. Thus did light and shadow, warmth and cold, come into the world. They were called Kar and Ugar."

Seren pauses for a moment, walking around you before she continues. "During their birth, Kar and Ugar left behind them veins of life and death. These links to the underworld are the Towers you know of today

"The Lengal Tower surrounding us here sank in the sand storms of the Gawana, preserving most of its legacy as it fell. Its location is a well-kept secret¹, but your divine heritage and connection to an exalted dragon gave you both the right to enter this holy place.² The Ningal Tower, however, changed its face in the course of eons, and turned into a harsh rock needle in a crystal sea. The Empire abuses it as a military base and symbol of power. This blasphemy weakened Ugar's might there."

The lovely vision of a girl sighs sorrowfully. "Calderal — whom you call the Shadow Master — strives to open the Black Gate, the portal between worlds.³ Because of this, our reunion is no accident."

"Do we know each other?" you ask Seren in confusion.

"Certainly," the delicate girl replies with a delightful smile. "We have always been walking the path of the gods side by side."⁴

"Truly? I am sorry, but I cannot remember."

Seren giggles. "We know that."

"Then you can surely tell me why I am here?" you press on impatiently.

"Well, it is our task to keep watch, just as it is yours to judge and unite. The Keșra is always sent out when the balance between the divine siblings is disturbed."

"Calderal."

"Yes. But this time it is more complicated. Calderal disrupted the divine principle of harmony with his perfidious plan. He knew that the Keșra would destroy him if he tried to increase his power at the expense of the gods. When the Oracle of Kabeth prophesied the return of the Keșra, he searched for you, kidnapped you, and raised you as his own child in the Ningal Tower."

"Why didn't you prevent this?"

"The destiny of the Keșra is the destiny of the world — and the destiny of the world is the destiny of the Keșra," Seren muses. "There is in this world no power, not even a god, that is capable of determining your path."⁵

During your conversation with Seren, Kyrna has curled up close to the edge of the Tower and has fallen asleep. Fascinated by the way she seems to float on air, you follow Selen to five curved stone arches flanked by bowls of burning oil on the edge of the platform. Inside, the portals imitate the contours of human odies and are decorated with holy hieroglyphs. Even though the portals stand open, a view of the opposite side of the space is somehow blocked. An icy mist swirls from the center of the portals, as if from another world.

Seren takes up a position before the middle portal, where steaming hoarfrost has settled on the floor tiles. Her slender body would fit perfectly in the hollow silhouette of this frame. She is silent for a few moments and then gravely answers your most burning question: "Keșra, although to be sure you were misled, you have burdened yourself with much guilt on account of Kathum's death."⁶

"Yes, I killed him," you humbly admit. But Seren continues as if your admission was meaningless.

(( "Only your creator can remove this stain from you. Walk though the gate of the Keșra and find the key to your heritage in the light of Kar!" ))

You feel the weight of your crime weighing more heavily on your shoulders with each step towards the portal. You would be only happy to run away, for the inscrutable power lurking in the dark fog eagerly awaits you. At the same time, familiar voices are whispering. Your divine parents encourage you, yet also remind you of your duty. Just as you reach the wall of fog, you pause once more, looking into Seren's bright eyes, which are following you intently. Then you dare to take the step into eternal blackness!

Turn to 801.

¹ No it isn't. We know that the Empire knows where it is, which is a pretty big security leak.
² If we had the right to enter, why did we have to dodge frickin' laser beams on the way in?
³ Oh, that. That well-established plot device that was alluded to before ever and not pulled out of nowhere at all. That gate.
⁴ Why do people keep switching between telepathy and speech seemingly at random? Is there any point?
⁵ This is a spectacular non-answer. So, they allowed us to be kidnapped because there's no power that can 'determine our path'... except that our path was very much determined for many years by the power of kidnapping! (Side note: the emphasis on this world seems to be a meta-reference to the whatever-the-player-represents literally determining the protagonist's path.)
⁶ That's supposed to be the answer to our most burning question? I literally don't remember the last time I gave Kathum a passing thought. There's been an enormous amount of crazy shit happening and no reason to keep him in mind.

Breaking for dinner, back soon...

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 10, DEXTERITY: 8, VITALITY: Critical (1/5)
KARMA: 5, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +5 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband

Utensils (max 6):
1: Star Stone (+3 Vitality)
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Ahimsa

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Hurt (2/4)
Rank: Ally (2/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)

[angelfromanotherpin]

801     Endless time passes before your fall ends. The force that normally pulls you and all that is worldly downwards has abruptly disappeared in this somber sphere.

When you are again able to see something, you can hardly believe your eyes. You are floating above a free space formed by rough stone slabs. Each of them is in constant motion without colliding with any of the others. Between the joints there are bottomless depths. Clouds of gray pass by you. Sometimes you even think that you can see shapes or faces in them, but they quickly change before you can be sure.

Weightlessness deceives your senses, but in the far distance you think you see wave-like movements. At first, they are only hazy, then they become clearer. You see five misshapen dragons cutting through the mist with powerful wings! The bitter-sweet smell of death assails you.

Apparently the five are battling one another. They savagely hack at each other with their claws, biting into wings and tails. During their chaotic conflict, they are coming ever closer; you can hear their horrifying snarls, hisses, and even garbled voices.

You realize that you are witnessing the eternal struggle between the five guardians of the underworld. For eons now, Nosis the Ravager, Calis the Avenger, Komar the Blasphemer, Loth the Seducer, and Torn the Dissembler have been battling for the favor of the lord of the Underworld. All are powerful beyond imagining, but only one is your creator!

Barely have you turned away from the eternal battle for the Underworld, when the dragons flee and you hear an awesome voice rumbling in your skull: "So you have discovered the key to your existence, Keșra!"

The ground trembles under your feet. All around you the stone slabs plummet into the void! Helpless, you search your surroundings — no sign of Seren — but the disintegration of the ground continues unabated.

Turn to 788.

788     Finally the last stone slab comes loose under your feet. You drop into a bottomless abyss without time or space. During your fall, your surroundings sink into blackness, interrupted only by terrible wails and icy cold. After a while, you can see shadowy silhouettes. You crash so hard into the ground that it feels as if all your bones have shattered.

Gasping for air, you see twisted faces staring at you from all around. You think you recognize their faces. Out of their empty eye sockets flickers a pale frightening light. Their gaunt bodies have been pierced by nebulous blades looking strikingly similar to your holy Moon Sickle.

> Old acquaintances from long forgotten days... <

Finally, the swarm of crippled shapes moves as one to pursue you. The horrible creatures smell the soul of the Keșra, your soul, and thirst for vengeance.

If you want to suppress your fear and wait to see what happens, turn to 792.
If you want to draw the Moon Sickle and attack the ghosts, turn to 805.

We also have the option to draw our sword extra-hard if we want to.

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 10, DEXTERITY: 8, VITALITY: Critical (1/5)
KARMA: 5, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +5 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband

Utensils (max 6):
1: Star Stone (+3 Vitality)
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Ahimsa

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Hurt (2/4)
Rank: Ally (2/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)

[Omegonthesane]

The fact they feel the need to even ask whether you put your sickle to full use makes me think it's a trap. That or it's theoretically possible to get this far without the ability to press its "vibrate extra hard" button.

Wait and see what happens. The fact they even give that as an option implies it isn't just an instadeath.

[pragma]

Wait and see for similar reasons. These creatures have moon sickle wounds, no need to piss them off more.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Patience is a virtue.

[angelfromanotherpin]

792     The spirits are howling around you, and you feel the icy breath of death. They screech, they curse, but they do not immediately attack.

"Who is it planting the seed of madness within us?" asks one of the souls. You close your eyes tight and resist. Only when the presence of the dead has faded do you dare to slightly open your eyelids. Directly in front of you, in the darkness, you can make out the shape of a majestic dragon. The ground quakes under his titanic steps. He is approaching!

Turn to 838.

838     Benumbed by his terrible countenance, you don't realize what horrible monstrosity confronts you until you find yourself directly facing him: It is Nergal, the undead Dragon Lord of the underworld!

Between the bare bones of his gigantic body you can see his intestines throbbing and twisting, while pus and urine squirt from the loops. At the same time, and unending stream of burning blood flows from the empty eye sockets of his monstrous skull. His torn chops dangle between the fangs in his maw. As he turns towards you, your body quakes in the maelstrom of eternity. Nergal is the incorruptible judge in the realm of the dead. He alone can pass judgement as to salvation or damnation, a judge without mercy.

"What are you seeking here?" Nergal's voice, a harsh bellow that is barely understandable, blows towards you on the sickly-sweet odor of decay and death. "Go back and receive the reward you hunger for!" Perpetual blackness surrounds you as Nergal utters a snarling prophecy. "We shall meet again, and soon. Your time will come... Children of the gods!"

Turn to 786.

786     Dazed, you open your eyes again. The Underworld has spat you out anew! Or was it all a terrible nightmare? You are standing directly before the five gates to the sphere of the dead. Everything looks as before, but a huge, richly decorated, iron-shod wooden chest is standing at your feet. Perhaps this is the nightmare instead.

There is a tingling in your fingers. You feel that something powerful is in the chest. Bravely, you push open the lid. The chest is lined in white brocade. At first it appears empty, but then you see a golden mask shimmering in the folds of the precious fabric. Excitedly, you grab at it!

If you are wearing the Serpent Ring, turn to 822.
If you are wearing the Signet Ring, turn to 823.

Oo, the rarely-seen player-gender-check.

786     Hesitantly, you takethe mask from the chest and admire the perfect piece of art. The fine gold reveals a man's face. Curved rays of the sun, consisting of eight long thorns, create a corona around the face, a visage that looks vaguely familiar. It is the man you saw in the mirror when you first meet Calderal.

> Who are you? <

You feel a deep spiritual kinship, as if this face, this man, was always with you. Resolutely, you turn the mask over and slowly place your face inside.
Which of the five dragons of the Underworld do you think is your creator?
Nosis the Ravager (upper left), turn to 794.
Calis the Avenger (lower left), turn to 818.
Komar the Blasphemer (center), turn to 781.
Loth the Seducer (top right), turn to 846.
Torn the Dissembler (lower right), turn to 829.

The clues we are given are the dragon battle illustration and a little text, both spoilered below.

Clues

You recall the fight of the five dragons of the underworld and at the same time try to catch a hint revealing one of them as your creator. You remember Seren's words: "find the key to your heritage in the light of Kar!"

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 10, DEXTERITY: 8, VITALITY: Critical (1/5)
KARMA: 5, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +5 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband

Utensils (max 6):
1: Star Stone (+3 Vitality)
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Ahimsa

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Hurt (2/4)
Rank: Ally (2/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)

[pragma]

I'm thinking Komar the Blasphemer because K, a and r appear in his name.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Sounds good to me.

[Omegonthesane]

I actually think it's Calis the Avenger, because he seems to have the most light shining on him (and because Avenger's the only title out of the dragons that seems suitable for the creator of a protagonist).

[pragma]

I'll switch my vote to Calis. I think this is a picture puzzle and not a word puzzle.

[angelfromanotherpin]

818     Your gaze pierced the parchment-like skin of the dragon, and you were able to see the key to your existence in Calis' claw.

"That is right, Kesra! Avenge the innocent — judge the guilty!" The thundering voice confirms your decision.

Turn to B12!

I honestly have no idea what the visual clue is supposed to be. It sounds like you're supposed to see some sort of key shape in the vicinity of one of Calis' claws, but I can't figure it. But yes, if you just pick the only one with a heroic title, you get the benny.

B12     No sooner has the mask touched your face than you feel a tingling and burning on your calcified skin. Startled, you want to remove the artefact, but it remains firmly in place! As you pull with growing desperation, the gold grows hotter and hotter. The pain becomes unbearable, but the mask is already bonding so tightly that it cuts off your air. You begin to panic.

> So this will be my end! <

You have almost given up the struggle to survive when the metal suddenly melts and eats into your flesh. The pain almost drives you mad, but then, from one moment to the next, all the agony is gone. You touch your face in disbelief; the mask has disappeared. It is gone, yet you have changed.

Write down the Sun Mask of the Keșra (Clothing, Head, Protection +2) on your adventure sheet.
Special: The true mask is an artefact from the hoard of Calis the Avenger. It has absorbed much of the power of its Keeper over time, so it gives you the following abilities in a fight: you may...
a) ...let your DEFENSE be automatically successful. This costs you 1 KARMA point per COMBAT ROUND you want to use this gift.
b) ...let your DEFENSE be automatically successful and regenerate one level of your VITALITY. This costs you 2 KARMA points per COMBAT ROUND in which you want to use this gift.
Write this down on your adventure sheet! The mask has fused with your face and is invisible to others.
Your STRENGTH rises by 1 point!
Also write down FATE POINT #12!

Return to the sixth chapter with section 850.

850     Still incredulous, you touch your face. You feel the warmth of the golden Kar mask on your skin, but you can neither see nor feel the artefact.

"We are happy for you!" Seren stands by your side as if no time has passed, as if she has never been away. "This is the sign, the second gift of the gods... Now fulfill your task, Keșra!"

Turn to CHAPTER 7: "SHADOWS OF THE PAST"!

---

Have you found the 2 FATE POINTS (#11 and #12) in this chapter? If not, you should show more compassion when looking for the Kar temple and do not let yourself be fooled by the Powers of the Underworld.

---

Have you found the third RIDER RANK of Dragon Familiar in this chapter? If not, try harder to defend Kyrna while flying towards the Lengal tower.

Chapter 7 coming tomorrow.

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 11, DEXTERITY: 8, VITALITY: Critical (1/5)
KARMA: 5, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +5 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Head: Sun Mask of the Keșra +2 (Spend 1-2 Karma for autodefend/+1 VITALITY)
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband

Utensils (max 6):
1: Star Stone (+3 Vitality)
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Ahimsa

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Hurt (2/4)
Rank: Ally (2/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)

[Omegonthesane]

As far as I was concerned the visual cue was that Calis the Avenger was surrounded by white page space instead of black ink, which I took to indicate light instead of darkness. Which, yes, makes the puzzle pretty literal.

[angelfromanotherpin]

CHAPTER 7

SHADOWS OF THE PAST

Your insightful journey into the chaos of the underworld has come to an end and reaped its reward. You receive 2 KARMA points. Your VITALITY rises by one level, but not more than to normal. Use this opportunity to adjust all Save Points on your adventure sheet. The moon has changed one phase clockwise. Note this in the MOON CALENDAR at section 600.

"The disharmony of the dirge fades in the harmony of past, present, and future."

— THE ORACLE OF KABETH

Our Moon Sickle is up to +6 to hit, and it's only downhill from here.

851     Seren's shining eyes mirror true seriousness for the first time.

"The gods demand your hand. No, more than that. They need your strength. You must pass judgement on the Shadow Master!"

"But how shall I do that?" you exclaim. "I cannot survive a fight against Calderal!"

"What do you care?" This time Seren's calm voice is clearly audible, talking about your death as if it were nothing.

You suddenly feel angry. "What do I care? Of course I care! I do not want to die!"

Seren strokes a silvery strand of hair from her face and whispers, "Oh, you still think that death is inescapable, final. Without your memories, of course you would think this." Her hand rests upon your heart. "But you are wrong there! You have already died — countless times! Remember now."

Barely have Seren's mysterious words faded, when the pupils of here eyes become an ocean of colors and sparkling stars. You lose yourself in the hypnotic maelstrom, and from one moment to the next, the pains of thousands of deaths wash over you.

You suffer unspeakable agony.

Read 565 and then come back here (put your finger between the pages).

565     Stumbling, you try to hold onto something, but you grasp at nothing. As you slide down over the stone edge of the path, your death cry echoes through the mountains.

Your life ends here. •

Only half-consciously can you hear Seren's voice among the hundreds of your own death screams!

"I am sorry Keșra, but you need to understand! Kar and Ugar gave you this divine understanding of the end of life so that you can feel awe towards life."

Again, a morbid memory pushes Seren's voice into the background of your mind.

Read 170 and then come back here.

170     In a single moment, the blue flames consume your clothes, your gear, and finally your flesh. You plummet, a flaming torch, dead long before you reach the bottom.

Your life ends here. (+236*) •

Seren accompanies you through the pain of countless death struggles. "You are both immortal and mortal at the same time. What is death to you? But it leaves deep scars — on your body, in your soul — and you know it!"

Read 899 and then come back here.

899     Driven by your thoughs of escape, you run, burying your head in both arms, and leap through the heavy leaded glass of the window. Heavy drops of rain whip your face on your seemingly endless fall down the face of the step pyramid.

You remember now the magnificent view one has from the rooms of the Emissary of Kar. Even though you're falling to your certain death, a smile flits across your lips.

Your life ends here. •

Only slowly does the pain recede from your limbs, and you begin to comprehend what has just happened. Again, images of death pass you as wisps of thought, but this time there are no nameless torments. Some memories are already fading; others will stay with you. All of them were and are real!

> I have lived through these deaths – even though I do not remember many of them. <

If you have the ability Ahimsa, turn to 886.
If not, turn to 866.

This is a reasonably-interesting example of incorporating the CYOA experience into the fiction itself, but what the forum format can't really communicate is how the tactile experience of going backward (and forward!) through the chapters of this very thick book adds weight to the dimension of time involved. It's quite effective.

886     The boundless power of death has left deep scars in your mind, but the latent fear of the end has given way to the firm belief that you are equal to all of this.
Change the entry Ahimsa to Keșrani in line 12 on your adventure sheet. In addition, mark the number 886 there, the number of this section, so that you can look up something if necessary.

This ability raises your physical endurance by one level. Thus, if your VITALITY reaches the level dead, you are still alive! Only when you lose another level of VITALITY will you find your ultimate death.

Turn to 956.

886     "Is is so simple?" you ponder your next step. "I go to Calderal and trust in my immortality?"

Seren graps you left claw, stroking the scarred skin. "Well, first you will have to break the seal that the Shadow Master forced upon you. It suppresses a large part of your nature. Only when all parts of the Keșra find each other will it be able to fulfill its divine purpose."

Your eyes light up with determination. "All right, but how do I get rid of the seal?"

"Only the emissaries of the gods are able to do that — Calderal or Kathum."

"Are you serious? Kathum is dead and Calderal – well, he certainly won't volunteer to do it!"

"You are right. You should not count on Calderal."

"Kathum?" You have to laugh. For the first time, you see something resembling agitation in Seren's clear face.

"Of course. You should atone for your guilt on the same day that you committed this sin."

"Are you suggesting I return to the day Kathum died?"

Seren nods.

"How should I do that?"

Again, the divine girl replies with childlike equanimity. "You are Keșra. For you, past, present, and future are one."

"So I return to the past to save Kathum's life." you start to recapitulate with unmistakable irony. "By preventing my past self from killing him. Seems so simple, yes," you scoff.

Again, your mocking tone bounces off Seren's placid calm. "You certainly have the power to bring an Emissary back to life. Should this be the decision of the Keșra, our fellowship is willing to bear the consequences."

As you ponder who or what Seren could have meant by 'our fellowship,' you feel the breath of a short icy chill. Intuitively, you turn around and see three childlike beings stepping out of the pulsating fog at the gates. Their strangely lithe bodies perfectly resemble the silhouettes of the stone portals. The children, a girl and two boys, greet you with a deep bow, so that their hair falls forward like a sparkling waterfall. Seren greets the newcomers with the same respectful gesture. They feel maddeningly familiar to you.

After the children have eyed you thoroughly, one of the two boys steps forward and places his hands on your heart and brow, allowing only the tips of his tiny fingerstiny fingers to brush your skin. "Your body is caught in the here and now. But your mind is free. It knows no barriers. It breathes equally past, present, and future."

You look at the boy in disbelief, and he explains as best he can, or at least as best you can understand him. "You have already been doing it the whole time! You are constantly making decisions that you have already made completely differently on other levels of existence, or decisions that you will make." The boy wakes for your reaction in vain. He takes a deep breath and continues. "We know that this is confusing to you, but you will not comprehend us until both of you have absorbed this power. You are truly the linked divine being sent by Ugar and Kar."

The girl by his side adds firmly, "Break the chains of your existence! Overcome the boundaries and dispel the doubts! That is the only way you will once again become part of us, our fellowship." The boy's words are so compelling that you almost did not hear the girl's enjoinders. But you understand and free your mind. Your thoughts are on their way to a past chapter of your journey.

Turn to 213!

213     "Not so very difficult, is it?" the girl encourages you.

"But when I change the Then, what happens to the Now?" you worry.

"Nothing," the boy says self-assuredly. "The Now will become nothing."

"But what will happen if I influence the past substantially? Would that not change everything for everyone?"

Seren seems amused by your concerns. "Is it not astonishing that with every step toward the realization that you are immortal, your heart beats more and more for those who are mortal?"

"Is that supposed to answer my question?" you snap back.

"Forgive me. But it is in the power of the Keșra to decide all our destinies."

"If I granted life to Kathum," you think aloud, "this would be a turning point for the war."

"You are correct," the boy inserts himself into the conversation again. "Therefore, receive this gift. It is a soul urn. With it, not only can you save Kathum's soul from entering the underworld, but you will also be able to lead it from Then to Now." The boy hands you a simple clay vessel, about the size of a fist. Cryptic characters have been burnt into its lid.

Write down the Soul Urn (Special Item) on your adventure sheet.

"I have one more question," you speak to the children again pensively.

"Ask!" the boy encourages you.

"Am I allowed to travel to the past whenever I like?"

"Oh no, the gods grant this privilege to the Keșra only once."

Seren tilts her silvery head and asks quietly: "Does that calm you?"

A short time ago, this comment would have driven you mad with anger, but now you understand Seren's character. Your emotions go even deeper. Being near these children lights a spark in you, revealing a layer of your existence you did not know — did not even have until now. This soothing, and at the same time stimulating, feeling begins to spread from your stomach to your chest until it reaches your heart.

Your VITALITY rises to fit!

Inspired by boundless courage, you bid farewell to the four children and leap up onto your dragon's saddle with the unshakeable determination to take your destiny in the Golden City of Kyphi into your own hands. A content smile slits across Seren's face as she and her siblings bow.

Turn to 900.

Okay, I did the previous sections in full because there's a lot of significant info in them. But 900 is also very long and just indulgent, so I'm going to summarize it.

900     You ride Kyrna away from the temple and toward Kyphi. The capital of Rhenus is not far, but it will be night before you arrive, which is good because the Golden Guard will try to stop you.

You see the monumental 88-level step pyramid of Kyphi against the night sky. Each level is filled with lights, for the golden metropolis never sleeps. The hierarch, the priests, and other high officals reside at the top; with the commoners on the middle levels, and the impoverished and outsiders vegetating at the bottom. The many-angled Hierarch's palace with the stylized Crown of Kar, consisting of eight curved thorns of pure gold extending in all directions like a star, sits atop the pyramid as a divine adornment. Even weeks after Kathum's assassination, all the white sun banners in the city are at half mast.

Your approach under cover of dark has gone unnoticed, but scouts of the Golden Guard, mounted on flying lizards, circle over the temple district. Kyrna sends, "Perhaps this would be a good time to visit your past, Keșra!"

If you want to travel to the past now, turn to 926.
If you want to come closer to the top of the pyramid before daring to jump, turn to 965.
If you have the ability Premonition, turn to 993.

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 11, DEXTERITY: 8, VITALITY: Fit (5/5)
KARMA: 5, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +6 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Head: Sun Mask of the Keșra +2 (Spend 1-2 Karma for autodefend/+1 VITALITY)
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband
6: Soul Urn

Utensils (max 6):
1: Star Stone (+3 Vitality)
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Keșrani

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Hurt (2/4)
Rank: Ally (2/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)

[pragma]

I think come closer. We can eat lesser flying lizards, and navigating the city in time to outpace our past self seems tough.

[Omegonthesane]

Agreed - come closer.

[Thaluikhain]

Come closer, yeah

(Ok, checking out all the deaths is kinda clever, yeah, but going to the past rather invalidates what we've been up to so far, I think lose some points for that)

[angelfromanotherpin]

965     You have almost reached the palace when you see strange flashes of fire flaring up on the second-highest level, the level with the defense mechanisms surrounding the priest district, followed by muffled blows so strong that you feel them in your stomach.

> Damn, the Golden Guard has spotted us! <

While you are scanning the dark for missiles, there are already several explosions above you. You raise both arms to protect your head, but apparently there is no need. These weapons do not use explosive shells with sharp shrapnel. These are blinding dust grenades.

A few moments later, you are flying through a cloud of fine white dust and biting sulfurous smell that illuminates the whole night sky above Kyphi in a uniform glow. Kyrna and you are an easy target for the air defense of the Golden Guard!

If you have the ability Magical Lore, turn to 902.
If not, perhaps you have the ability Warfare. In this case turn to 992.
If you have neither ability, turn to 942.

902     You curse the inventor of blinding dust! It is a potent alchemical powder used mostly to defend against aerial attacks. To have its full effect, it must be dispersed in the air as finely as possible. Dragons flying through a cloud of blinding dust are irritated, often losing their orientation. Many crash, their riders powerless to prevent it.

If you have a Rider's Eyepiece and want to use it, turn to 927.
If not, turn to 942.

942     Even though you are not adversely affected by the dust, Kyrna suddenly begins to flap her wings uncontrollably, twisting her long neck and screaming in pain. She loses all restraint over her movements. You have difficulty staying in the saddle and are forced to watch the six elite riders of the Golden Guards rising in the night sky to intercept you.

If you want to risk a time jump, turn to 925.
If you want to save yourselves with a daring flying maneuver, turn to 919.
If you want to calm Kyrna, turn to 987.

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 11, DEXTERITY: 8, VITALITY: Fit (5/5)
KARMA: 5, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +6 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Head: Sun Mask of the Keșra +2 (Spend 1-2 Karma for autodefend/+1 VITALITY)
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband
6: Soul Urn

Utensils (max 6):
1: Star Stone (+3 Vitality)
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Keșrani

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Hurt (2/4)
Rank: Ally (2/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)

[Darth Rabbitt]

Calm Kyrna.

[pragma]

Calm Kyrna. I think the magical lore cautions us against a daring maneuver, and we haven't achieved our objective of getting closer before jumping.

(Also, curses! Stinking repair kit biting us in the butt here.)

[angelfromanotherpin]

987     Although you feel no pain, Kyrna's screams of agony cause you to suffer almost as much as if you yourself had been blinded by the magical dust. With a heartfelt embrace, you stand by her, speaking to her soothingly.

If your RIDER RANK is at least Dragon Familiar, turn to 944.
If you are a Dragon Ally, turn to 960.

944     Unfortunately, you can barely manage to calm Kyrna before the sharpshooters of the Golden Guard take aim at your dragon.
Determine the accuracy of the Golden Guard based on the moon!

If it's Full Moon, turn to 884.
If it's Half Moon or Gibbous Moon, turn to 928.
If it's Crescent Moon, turn to 961.
If it's New Moon, turn to 949.

That result was so stingy that I thought I might have gotten the Familiar/Ally references reversed, so I checked. It turns out that being merely an Ally gets you slightly worse narration, and the exact same Moon matrix. In short, the author wasted two sections in order to pretend that a better rider rank meant anything. Bad form. Anyway, we flip Gibbous.

928     By tearing forcefully at the reins, you manage to catch Kyrna's attention and increase the distance between you and the hostile riders. Nevertheless, one of the arrows has pierced Kyrna's thick scales.
KYRNA'S VITALITY is lowered by a level!

Turn to 884.

928     Finally, the effect of the blinding dust fades, and Kyrna once again follows your commands. Despite the confusion, she was not harmed by the powder. Meanwhile, you can see three riders of the Golden Guard in shooting distance. They are keeping their distance so as to continue to attack you under the protection of the dense clouds.

If you want to use your Rider's Bow, turn to 970.
If you want to attack one of the riders in close combat, turn to 898.
If you want to escape with a bold flying maneuver, turn to 919.

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 11, DEXTERITY: 8, VITALITY: Fit (5/5)
KARMA: 5, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +6 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Head: Sun Mask of the Keșra +2 (Spend 1-2 Karma for autodefend/+1 VITALITY)
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband
6: Soul Urn

Utensils (max 6):
1: Star Stone (+3 Vitality)
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Keșrani

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Critical (1/4)
Rank: Familiar (3/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)

[Omegonthesane]

Escape.

Shooting will require that we picked hard mode back in chapter 2 while melee will require flying back in the direction of the bad things.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Flying maneuver leads to the same section as it would have when Kyrna was blinded which makes me suspect it's not good. But entering combat with a critically wounded dragon seems even worse, so evasive maneuvers seems to be the least worst option. Go with that.

[pragma]

I lean a bit towards close combat, hoping that it means we'll be attacked instead of Kyrna, but I don't mind being outvoted here.