You enter the open doorway, and the hubbub of laughter and conversation dies momentarily as all eyes turn to stare in your direction. They consider you for a few moments; then the chatter and noise begin anew and the eyes return to other matters. After descending a flight of steps to the sunken floor of the taproom, you make your way through the noisy crowd to the beer-soaked counter. A husky serving wench thuds a pewter tankard down on the bar before you and fills it with frothing ale.
‘First one’s on the ’ouse,’ she says, with a snarl, ‘the rest y’ pays for, understand?’ You nod your reply and, as you sip the watery brew, you take stock of the inn’s villainous clientele. They are not a pretty crowd. The Crooked Sage is a tavern with an ill reputation, even in the brawling turmoil of Helgor’s north quarter. The city guard never patrol here; a weekly donation to the guard captain guarantees that they are always somewhere else. Order, and what passes for law, is kept by Chegga, the owner of the inn, and his two brutish sons—Zhola and Gorgan.
You finish your ale and the serving wench returns to refill your tankard.
‘That’ll be one Gold Crown,’ she says, thrusting out a calloused palm. You place the crown on the bar and, as she goes to pick it up, you take hold of her wrist to prevent her from moving away.
‘Where’s Smudd? Is he here tonight?’ you ask.
‘Over there,’ she growls, pointing to a shadowy alcove at the rear of the taproom. ‘Now let go o’ me or I’ll call Chegga.’
Calmly you release her, take up your ale, and walk slowly towards the place where Smudd is seated. He is in the company of a giggling bar-girl and does not notice that you are standing beside him until you thump your tankard down on his table. The sound startles him and immediately he reaches for his sword.
He has a desperate look about him which reminds you of a cornered rat. If you are to avoid a confrontation, you must do or say something to assuage his fear.
(I possess Kai-Alchemy)
You whisper the words of the Brotherhood Spell Mind Charm and, at once, you see Smudd relaxing under its influence. He removes his hand from his sword and the scowl of fearful suspicion softens to a smile as he lowers himself back into his seat. With a flick of his hand he dismisses the bar-girl. She leaves without protest and as you watch her walk away, he leans across the table and says, ‘How can I help you, stranger?’
‘What do you know about a little hamlet called Vorn?’ you say, quietly.
For a moment the look of suspicion returns to his beady eyes; then he sneers and says, ‘I know it no longer exists, that’s what I know. There’s rumour on the street that it was destroyed by the storms, but there’s more to it than that. More than I care to remember.’
You show him the Black Amulet that President Kadharian gave to you and once more you repeat your question. Now he refuses to answer, fearing that you are one of Kadharian’s agents out to arrest him. He kicks back his chair and tries to stand, but he does not make it.
He is halfway out of his seat when suddenly his chest is transfixed by a crystal arrow. Wide-eyed with pain and shocked surprise, he crashes to the floor amid a spray of blood and spilt ale.
A wave of panic sweeps through the crowded inn. Women shriek hysterically and gruff voices shout in anger and confusion, demanding Smudd’s killer be found. You back away from the alcove and, as you turn towards the counter, you catch a glimpse of a figure running along the gallery which overlooks the taproom floor. He is clad from head to toe in a close-fitting black tunic and he is carrying a bow. You watch helplessly as he disappears through a door which leads off the gallery.
(I choose to climb a staircase to give chase)
You race up the staircase and kick open the door through which the black-clad archer disappeared. Inside, you discover a group of gamblers standing at a circular table with playing cards in their hands. They have all risen from their seats to look at something on the far side of the room. When you follow their gaze, you see it is the archer; he is climbing through an open window onto a balcony outside.
(I choose to use my Bow – I toss a 7 and get +3 from the Silver Bow, and make it)
The tip of your Arrow clips the man’s calf and you hear him yelp with pain. But the wound is superficial and it does not prevent him from making his escape out onto the balcony.
With weapon in hand, you climb out of the window. You are expecting the archer to attack you the moment you appear but the balcony is deserted: he has disappeared. Then your keen eyes notice fresh bloodstains on the balcony rail and you catch a glimpse of movement on the roof of the building opposite. It is the archer. Despite his wounded leg he has leapt across the narrow street and is now making his escape across the rooftops of the north quarter.
With the grace of a panther you spring onto the balcony rail and leap across to the roof opposite. Without breaking your stride, you set off after the fleeing assassin and pursue him to the edge of a flat-topped warehouse at the end of Tavern Lane. Here a plank of wood has been laid down to span the gap of fifty feet to the rooftop opposite. The man limps across the plank, and then kicks it away to prevent you from following him.
(I try to jump it. My skills, if you’ll recall, can help me here. I toss a 5).
You make it across the street to the roof, but you twist your ankle on landing and crash heavily against the corrugated tiles: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
Painfully you limp to your feet and watch as the assassin makes good his escape. For a moment he halts beside a tall chimney stack and turns to look in your direction. Then three other shadowy figures emerge from behind the stack and stand at his shoulder. They stare at you silently for a few moments before turning and melting away into the night.
Cautiously, you approach the chimney stack where you find, lying at its base, a palm-sized coin of black metal engraved with runes. You pick up this disc and slip it into the pocket of your tunic. (Record this Runic Disc on your Action Chart as a Special Item. You must discard an item in its favour if you already carry the maximum number permissible.)
Having lost sight of the four shadowy figures, you decide now to call off the chase. Wearily you make your way down from the roof and retrace your steps back to the stables of the Crooked Sage in order to collect your horse.