(Great another Mover...)
The rolling plain to the west of Bakhasa is a bleak and barren steppe that is studded with countless thousands of sawn-off tree stumps. Once this region was part of the Great Forest of Kelderwood, yet 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 imperial shipyards of Otavai. Travelling on foot, the stumps are no obstruction to your progress and you are able to press on without stopping until late in the afternoon. As you crest 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 and rest awhile before making a final push for the city. You are feeling hungry after your long day’s march and you readily agree. (Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.)
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.
(I choose the west gate, more control than the river)
You approach to within 100 feet of the west gate by means of a drainage ditch that runs parallel to the rutted road. The heavy iron gate is open but the way through to the city beyond is blocked by four soldiers, each clad in a suit of shiny armour made from lacquered steel scales and hardened leather. They are armed with spears and maces, and their shields display the head of a tiger-like creature with ferocious fangs. It is the emblem of Autarch Sejanoz—the ruler of Bhanar.
Two of the soldiers stand rigidly to attention in the middle of the road with the hafts of their spears crossed to bar entry. Their comrades are seated beside them on benches set into alcoves on either side of the open gateway. A ragged white line appears to have been drawn along the threshold of the gate, but when you magnify your vision you realize that this line is nothing more than a trail of bird droppings. On a tiled ledge above the arch of the gateway you can see a long line of roosting crows. They appear almost invisible against the jet-black stonework of the parapet.
After watching the guards for several minutes you are sure that they are all alert and observant. It would be difficult to get past these men without their knowledge. If you are to gain entry to the city by this route, first you will have to create a diversion to draw away these vigilant guards.
(I use Elementalism)
While observing the soldier who is seated in the alcove to the right of the city gate, your keen eyes notice that beneath his bench there rests a small pot of ink, a feathered quill pen, and a large leather-bound book for the recording of tolls and charges. Using your power of Elementalism, you focus on the quill pen and cause its feathers to ignite spontaneously. Within a matter of seconds the flames spread to the vellum pages of the book and the hem of the soldier’s woollen cloak. With a scream of shocked surprise, the guard leaps to his feet and fumbles to unfasten the clasp of his burning cloak. As the other guards desert their posts and rush to his aid, you motion to Prince Karvas to follow your lead. Swiftly you climb out of the ditch and hurry towards the now unguarded entrance.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.
(I auto succeed)
You hurry past the gate guards and through the open archway into a flagstoned concourse. By keeping low and hiding in the shadows, you and Karvas are able to cross this open plaza undetected and make your way along an empty avenue which bisects the city’s west quarter. Grimy two-storey houses of carved hardwood pass by on either side, silent behind their bolts and shutters.
The avenue leads to a stone bridge that traverses the River Tehda and then continues into the heart of the east quarter. Here 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 study the ten-strong patrol as it marches past. These men are clad in black quilted tunics and 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 bridge but, as they do so, another patrol comes 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.
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.
You are getting ready to cross the street to the building’s side door when suddenly the tower bell starts to toll. A few minutes later you see a long line of black-clad figures, mostly soldiers, come walking in single file towards the building. Two great doors swing open to receive this procession and you catch sight 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 revulsion. Your Kai senses inform 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 slammed shut and the bell ceases to toll. Shaken but undeterred by what you have witnessed, you leave the warehouse and hurry across the street. The side door is unlocked and you open it and slip inside the small circular antechamber which lies beyond. Here you discover two further doors. You sense that one of them leads directly to the hall of the temple, for you can hear a dull chant arising from the congregation that has gathered there. The other door leads to the stairs of the bell-tower, but you quickly discover that this portal is securely locked.
(I do not have G. Nexus)
You rely upon your Magnakai skill of Nexus to assist you to open the door. But it quickly proves to be a more difficult task than you expected, for this door is secured by an elaborate and complex locking mechanism.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess a Dagger, you may add 2 to the number you have picked.
( I toss a 7)
Your skill and persistence finally pay off when the lock clicks open. You twist the iron door handle and push it open to reveal a circular stone staircase which leads all the way to the bell chamber at the top of the tower. On reaching the top you are treated to a spectacular view of the city. As you scan the rooftops and towers using your night vision, you are able to locate stables less than a mile away, to the north of the tower. You commit their location to memory and then hurriedly you descend the stairs to the antechamber below.
As you close the tower door, your Kai senses alert you to a concealed panel in the wall opposite. You press this panel and it slides aside to reveal a secret cache of valuable items:
100 Ren (equivalent to 10 Gold Crowns)
Jewelled Knife
Silver Signet Ring
If you wish to keep any of the above, record them on your Action Chart as Backpack Items. (Ren is local currency which you may carry in your Belt Pouch.)
On your return to the warehouse, Prince Karvas is delighted to hear that there are stables in Bakhasa and he insists that you set off for them at once. He is leading the way out of the 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.
( I take all three - I now have 45 crowns)