[Abe Sargent]

(Cross the bridge. It lets me keep control of the situation)


You hurry down the spiral stairs to the base of the tower and make your way quickly through the narrow alleys of this subterranean settlement. Using your Kai camouflage skills to stay hidden from the Lavas and dragons that soar overhead, you are able to make your way undetected to a group of rock mounds that overlook the chasm. Here you take cover behind a mound of broken rocks and settle down to observe the bridge. You note that the traffic flowing across it is not constant; there are occasional periods when the bridge is empty. However, it is exposed to the air for its entire length, some five hundred yards, and it would be difficult for anyone on the bridge to avoid being seen by the creatures who fly back and forth across the chasm. At length you determine that if you are going to make a successful crossing here, you must first wait until the bridge is clear and then you must cause some kind of diversion that will draw away the unwanted attention of the Lavas and dragons.


(I have Animal Mastery and a high enough rank)


You notice a reptilian guard that is standing on the wide parapet of the bridge. It is leaning on its trident and seems to be staring idly at the river of bubbling lava which flows through the base of the chasm a mile below. Drawing upon your improved Discipline, you focus on this creature and implant the image of its most feared enemy into its mind. The beast begins to tremble uncontrollably. It drops its weapon and, with a howl of abject terror, it slips and falls headlong into the void.

A pair of passing Lavas dive into the chasm, screeching and cawing in alarm. The handful of creatures who are on the bridge at this time immediately rush to the parapet. They are eager to watch as the Lavas attempt to save the falling reptilian before it splashes into the molten river far below. From the sound of their cackling laughter, you get the distinct impression that they are hoping the rescue will be less than successful.

While this ghoulish group are enjoying the sight of their comrade’s plight, you seize the opportunity to make a dash across the bridge.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2. If your current ENDURANCE score is 10 or lower, deduct 1.

(I toss a 2 and finish with a 7)


Your bold gamble pays off. You race across the bridge and reach the far side without being seen. Once across, you dive for cover in the empty lower storey of a newly-constructed dwelling, one of several that encircle the main temple. Here you pause to catch your breath and formulate a way of avoiding the many teams of reptilians who are busy building the crude block dwellings on this side of the chasm.

Unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.


The piles of building materials and the partially-finished dwellings which surround the base of the main temple make it easy for you to approach this edifice without being seen. Your Kai senses confirm that this grand construction is the lair of Huan’zhor, the master of this fiery domain, and they also confirm that the evil Dragonlord is not in residence. You skirt around the base of the temple until you locate an entrance which is guarded by two armoured reptilians. Using your Magnakai skills you lure these guards away from their posts just long enough for you to gain entry. Once inside, you discover that at ground level the temple comprises just one large chamber which is supported by a single central pillar that runs through the middle of the building. A circular stair winds around the outside of this pillar, giving access to the levels above. Cautiously you ascend the stairs and pass through four levels, all empty. The higher you climb, the hotter it becomes until, when you reach the uppermost tier of the temple, only your Platinum Amulet saves you from being roasted alive. In the roof of this narrow circular chamber you discover an open trapdoor through which you can see a mass of flickering orange flames. You sense that it is the base of the nest of fire, the location, as told in the Tome of Darkness, of the Scarab of the Wingless Dragon, the artefact that can secure your escape from this domain. With bated breath you climb the scorched steps which lead to the open trapdoor in the base of the nest of fire, but as you draw closer, your Sixth Sense warns you that the opening is not all it seems. It is protected by an invisible shield of magical energy.

(Yes I have a blue diamond)

Something strange is happening to the diamond in your pocket—it is radiating beams of light that pass through the material of your Kai tunic. Acting on instinct, you snatch the radiant gem from your pocket and hold it up to the trapdoor. At first there is no reaction. Then amber sparks encircle the opening like the trail of a slow-burning fuse, and you sense that the magical shield which protects this hatch is rapidly disappearing. When you can no longer detect any magical energy, you pull yourself through the trapdoor and climb into the nest of fire