The first light of dawn brings with it a dramatic change in the weather. The storm has ended and the sky is now bright and clear, but on the distant horizon you can still see flashes of lightning and hear thunder rumbling in the mountains.
You leave the old mine and urge Bracer down the muddy slope towards the track, most of which you discover has been washed away by last night’s storm. The damp earth is steaming in the unusual heat of the morning sun and the air crackles with an eerie residue of static electricity.
You continue your ride through the hills without stopping until, shortly after midday, you come to a derelict hovel which stands at the edge of a marshy peat bog. Your Kai senses inform you that there is somebody inside and, spurred on by curiosity, you resolve to find out who they are. You dismount and leave Bracer to feed on the marsh grass while you go forward to investigate the hovel on foot. You are twenty feet away from its rotting wooden door when suddenly it creaks open and you see an old man standing in the doorway. He is smiling at you.
(I have been to a hut on a Ruanon Pike before)
Immediately you recognize the man: he is Gwynian, the Sage of Varetta.
“Welcome, Grand Master. It has been a long time since we last met. Come, step into my humble abode. The time has come once more for us to discuss the future.’
Gwynian leads you into the derelict hovel and offers you a seat next to an ancient table carved from stone. Then he lowers himself carefully into a chair opposite and looks deeply into your eyes.
‘Lord Rimoah sent word to me in Varetta that you were on your way here,’ he says, taking a parchment envelope from the folds of his robes. ‘I, and my fellow sages, have been observing the skies in this region for many months, and we are sure that an event of great and terrible importance is close at hand. The stars and the storms portend that an evil power is soon to appear on Magnamund.’
‘Could it be the rising of Vashna?’ you ask, daring to voice your fear.
‘Yes, we believe it to be Vashna. Unless you can prevent it, Lone Wolf, the Darklord and his army will rise from the Maakengorge.’
(I show him the Black Amulet)
You remove the Amulet from your pocket and hand it to the old sage.
‘President Kadharian gave me this. It was found on the shore of Lake Vorndarol, near the ruins of Vorn, by a rogue who went by the name of Smudd. I tracked him to a tavern in Helgor but he was assassinated before he could tell me anything more about it. Can you?’
Gwynian holds the Amulet close to his myopic eyes and examines the engravings with great care.
After a short while he says, ‘It is a seal. It’s an amulet of fealty worn by the Acolytes of Vashna,’ he says sadly. ‘It would seem to confirm our fears. I have seen amulets such as this before, but none crafted from such a metal. This is a metal not of this world.’
Gwynian hands back the Amulet and you return it to your pocket.
Gwynian opens his envelope and removes a time-yellowed parchment which he spreads upon the smooth stone table: it is a map of northern Magador. He points to Lake Vorndarol and tells you that the eye of the strange storms which have swept this region has been calculated to be within a few miles of the lake’s eastern shore, close to the Maakengorge. The hamlet of Vorn, or what is left of it, is located on the southern shore, near to a tributary of the River Storn. He counsels you to be on your guard at all times and, to help you succeed, he gives you an amulet of his own.
‘Wear this, Grand Master,’ he says as he places the corded platinum disc around your neck. ‘It will keep you safe from some of the perils that may await you at the Maakengorge.’
(Record this Platinum Amulet, which you wear on a cord around your neck, as a Special Item on your Action Chart. You need not discard another item in its favour if you are already carrying the maximum number permissible.)
You thank Gwynian for his help and he waves farewell as you leave the hovel and walk back to your horse.
‘Good luck, Grand Master,’ he calls out. ‘My hopes and my prayers go with you.’