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POWER down to 18.Deduct 1 POWER point. The spell does not indicate that the valley contains danger as such, but warns you of a powerful animal aura, which is neutral rather than hostile. Will you carry on through the valley or retreat out of it and find another route northwest?
If the setting of this story were in Tolkien's Middle-Earth then we'd have nothing to fear, since the Elves there aren't mortal. But Titan Elves do fall under the "mortal" territory despite their longer lives.....You pass, on the left side of the valley, a rock formation which juts out of the cliff like some vast buttress. As soon as you are past it, you can see that it is matches by another about two hundred metres further down. In the backwater as it were, of the valley, which lies between these twin buttresses, you find the answer to your questions about the nature of this place.
Two majestic stags, whose many-branched antlers indicate great age and authority, are standing, apparently on guard, in front of a vast pile of bones. You now realize that this is the legendary death-ground of the deer of Affen Forest. It is said that no mortal may gaze upon it and live, but perhaps this is just an old wives' tale, for you certainly do not feel threatened. Will you, nevertheless, cross to the other side of the valley, to give the stags a wide berth, or will you approach the death-ground?
Bodyguard? Loot? Enemy Intelligence? Or direction?A heron flaps lazily from the pile of bones as you approach. Now that you are close, you see that the stags are not alive, but are amazingly lifelike statues. But your surprise at this discovery is nothing compared with your astonishment when one of them speaks inside your mind! The voice is slow, as if unused for a long time, and the words are rather old-fashioned: "Advance, friend! Be not surprised. Our maker gave us the power of speech - yes, and of movement too, should the occasion require it. We know somewhat of your mission, and applaud it. We may grant you one boon." What will you ask for:
Their company and protection?
A gift?
Information about how to defeat Ishtra?
Information about the best route to Ishtra's pit?
The stags do not speak in response, but a strange force sparks and crackles between their two sets of antlers. Your sight is temporarily blinded by the brightness of the flashes. When you can see again, there is a single antler suspended in mid-air between the stags. You step forward and grasp the antler, whatever force is holding it is released, for it comes easily into your hands. On inspection, it turns out to be hollow, like a horn; and you note particularly that it has twelve branches (note this on your Adventure Sheet). You blow a mighty blast, which echoes around the canyon, before tucking the antler-horn safely in your backpack, silently thanking the majestic creatures, and proceeding on your way up the valet. Add 1 LUCK point and turn to 383.
2 LUCK bonus in a row that we don't need. Maybe I should have spent some in the giant combat earlier.In the late afternoon, you start to climb a range of hills, which are just as thickly wooded as any other part of Affen Forest. Add 1 LUCK point for getting this far through the forest. The rock of the hills is exposed in places; boulders litter the ground and you pass quite a few small caves. You realize that it would not take much searching to find one large enough to spend the night in. Will you do this or not?
Do we like this sleeping place?You soon find a suitable cave. You can see far enough in to tell that it is not occupied (at least, not by anything visible), but there are also signs that it has been recently used by some animal. Gnawed bones litter the ground, and there is a lingering, but unfamiliar, animal smell. Will you spend the night in this cave or look elsewhere?