[Abe Sargent]

Your final fatal blow shatters the chest of the Ice Dragon Zashnor. It implodes with a deafening noise, like the simultaneous smashing of a thousand crystal chandeliers. The frosty wings and limbs become detached as the torso disintegrates upon the deck, and rapidly they melt into a milky cloud that engulfs the broken remains. For a few moments this opaque ball of mist churns and seethes until it loses the last of its energy and is whipped away on the winds of the storm.

Lying at your feet is the grey robed form of Zashnor, torn and lifeless. You draw back the hood of its robe and reveal its true form. Its distorted goat-like skull is semi-transparent allowing you to see its brain which is as dark as night. Two small straight horns protrude from its forehead and its eye sockets appear unnaturally black, as if they are two holes through which you can see into another plain of existence. It is exceedingly rare to look upon a Nadziran in its true form. You recall something that Supreme Master Lone Wolf told you about the Nadziranim, that when they are destroyed they are destroyed utterly; nothing at all remains of their bodies or spirit. Zashnor was clearly an exceptional Nadziran. There are rumours that a select few Nadziranim have returned to Magnamund by the grace of Naar and life-draining necromantic rituals after having seemingly been destroyed. Mindful of this, you resolve that Zashnor shall never join their ranks.

Driven by an overwhelming instinct, you raise your Kai Weapon above your head and bring it crashing down upon the Nadziran’s loathsome skull. Your mighty blow sunders the translucent bone case, destroying it completely. Within moments of its destruction, the crushed remains of the skull and the entire skeletal carcass become a pungent black slime that bubbles and boils until all that is left are a ragged grey robe and a man-sized patch of scorched decking.

The thunder and lightning cease abruptly and the violent storm begins to abate. The winds die down and the torrential rain recedes until it becomes little more than light drizzle. Calm is slowly returning to storm ravaged Chai as the power of Zashnor relinquishes its foul grip on nature. After so many days of raging turmoil, the natural balance of the elements is finally being restored.

You close your eyes and offer up a prayer to God Kai for giving you the strength and courage to overcome this formidable foe. You are concluding your prayer when a riotous noise makes you open your eyes and focus your gaze on the quayside.

ou hear shrieks of pain and triumphant Chai battle cries. Captain Jian Tzu has rallied the City Guard and he is leading them personally in a merciless pursuit of the Doomgah. The last of these loathsome creatures have been flushed out of the streets and passageways of Dwala and hounded mercilessly towards the quay. Now the few remaining Doomgah are being pushed off the quay into the turbulent waters of the estuary. None of them can swim and they all perish swiftly in the deep dark waters.

‘For Chai!’ shout the victorious guardsmen, ‘For Khea-khan and Chai!’

Journeymage Honos and Herbwarden Zautro are with Captain Jian Tzu and they spot you standing on the deck of the Silver Virixe. They hurry along the walkway of the stone pier and come running down the gangplank, their faces beaming with joy that you are still alive. They embrace you warmly and commend your skill and bravery. The dramatic turn in the weather tells them that you have overcome a great evil this night and saved the city, and all of Chai, from a terrible fate at the hands of the merciless Zashnor. You inform them about the Claw of Naar and they can hardly believe their ears. But when you point to it lying on the deck a few yards away, all doubt is swiftly dispelled. Journeymage Honos removes his cape and carefully he wraps the accursed artefact, making sure that he does not touch the twisted shaft with his bare hands.

‘I will carry this back to City Guard headquarters,’ he says, solemnly. ‘I fear that if you were to convey it along with the Eye of Agarash, the consequences would prove fatal, my Lord.’

Your Sixth Sense tells you that Honos’s fears are well founded. The close proximity of the Eye and the Claw would create a surge of evil energy that would kill you in an instant. You follow a safe distance behind Honos and Zautro as you return along the pier to the quayside. Captain Jian Tzu is overjoyed to see that you are alive. He salutes you and shakes you warmly by the hand.

‘My eternal thanks, Grand Master,’ he says. ‘Once again you have saved Chai from a great and terrible evil. You will forever be revered as a hero in our land!’

You are escorted by the Captain and his men along Xo Street to the Main Square where the headquarters of the City Guard is located. Awoken by the fighting and the ferocious lightning storm, many of the citizens are now gathered in groups in the square, chattering excitedly. They cheer and wave as you pass and the Captain and his men acknowledge their applause with proud smiles and salutes. When you reach the headquarters building you ask what has become of the Tower of Ishir.

‘It has gone,’ replies Jian Tzu, sadly. ‘It fell in flames an hour ago. I regret to inform you that there are no survivors.’

The Captain makes his personal quarters available to you. Before he leaves he tells you to get some rest and he confirms that Lord Rimoah will be arriving aboard Comet as planned, at noon.

‘I will escort you to the North Gate shortly before midday and see you safely aboard,’ he says, and then he bids you good night and closes the door to his chambers. The physical and mental strain of your battle with Zashnor and its foul cohorts wells up and overwhelms you with fatigue. You climb onto the Captain’s bed and fall immediately into a deep and dreamless sleep.

You are awoken mid-morning by Journeymage Honos and Herbwarden Zautro. They bring you a hearty breakfast and together you eat and talk before Captain Jian Tzu enters to inform you that it is time to leave. You ride from the headquarters building to the North Gate in the company of the Captain, Lord Honos, and Herbwarden Zautro. The young journeymage carries the Claw of Naar still wrapped securely in his cape. Upon arriving at the gate, you see that it is open. Nearby, the smouldering remains of the Tower of Ishir remind you of the selfless sacrifices that were made during your long and difficult mission. You offer up a silent prayer to Goddess Ishir to cherish and preserve the souls of those who willingly gave their lives so that you might succeed. They have gone, but they will never be forgotten.

While you slept, the dawn of the day brought with it a dramatic change in the weather. The skies have cleared and warm sunshine is drying the saturated streets of Dwala. Lord Rimoah arrives precisely at noon. Comet appears in a cloudless sky and gradually it descends until it comes to hover just a few feet above an area of cleared ground outside the North Gate. You hear its engine powering down to a soft hum and see Lord Rimoah and Blazer awaiting you at the rail of the stern deck. They both salute you with pride. The boarding ladder is lowered and you say farewell to Captain Jian Tzu and Herbwarden Zautro before you climb aboard. Journeymage Honos has been instructed to return to Dessi by Lord Rimoah. He has been charged with the safekeeping of the Claw of Naar until Comet arrives at the High Council in Elzian, the Dessian capital. Rimoah and Blazer greet and commend you on completing your mission successfully. Bo’sun Durin takes Honos to his quarters in the bow while you retire to Lord Rimoah’s comfortable cabin at the stern. On approaching the cabin door, you turn and take one last look at the city of Dwala and wave a final farewell to Jian Tzu and Zautro as Comet ascends smoothly into the clear blue sky.

Your return sky voyage to the Kai Monastery of Lorn takes a little over six hours. During your aerial flight, Lord Rimoah asks many questions about your mission and he prepares a detailed account which he will give to Kai Supreme Master Lone Wolf. Blazer has already given a similar report about his mission to the Kraknalorg chasm. He is proud to tell you that he, too, was successful.

You arrive at the Monastery in the early evening and watch the descent to the parade ground from the stern deck of the Comet. The blessed tranquillity of the Monastery is a welcome relief after the days and nights you have spent in the heavy rains and thunderous storms of Chai. You see Skyfort moored on the parade ground below and you hope that Black Hawk, Star Lynx, Steel Hand, and Swift Sword have enjoyed the same success that you and Blazer have achieved.

A Kai honour guard awaits you when you descend the boarding ladder to the gravelled parade ground. With pride, you acknowledge their salutes and accompany Lord Rimoah and Blazer to the Grand Hall at the top of the Tower of the Moon. Upon entering the hall, you see Lone Wolf seated upon his alabaster throne with Star Lynx and Sage Chastan standing quietly on either side.

‘Welcome Grand Masters,’ says Lone Wolf, proudly, ‘I commend you both on achieving your missions with honour. You have each defeated a powerful champion of evil and removed the threat they posed to the peace and stability of the lands around their mustering points. You have done well and you should feel rightly proud to have upheld the highest traditions of the Order.’

Sage Chastan approaches you and requests that you give him the Eye of Agarash. Lone Wolf nods his approval and willingly you hand over the satchel containing the bane that has burdened you all the way from Pensei. Chastan thanks you and bows respectfully to Lone Wolf and the others before leaving the Grand Hall. Lone Wolf gets up and steps away from his throne. He beckons you all to join him at his map table where he picks up the steel pointer and taps it on the Kraknalorg Chasm and the Doomlands of Naaros. He looks at you and Blazer and says:

‘The success of your missions have neutralised these threats.’ He then moves the pointer to Dessi and continues. ‘Grand Master Star Lynx achieved his mission here. He, too, is commended for his bravery and his success.’ Star Lynx bows in acknowledgement of Lone Wolf’s generous praise and tries hard to suppress a smile and maintain his composure.

‘And with the valuable assistance of our ally, Wizard Regent Grey Star, the city of Shadaki has been cleansed of the dark scourge that took control of it 16 years ago and lately threatened to resurrect the former Shadakine Empire in all its evil glory. At last, the death of Bright Star has been avenged. Ulonga and his Kitaezi Shamans are no more.’

Lone Wolf taps the location of Shadaki and then he pauses. For several seconds he says nothing and your Sixth Sense tells you that all is not well. Slowly, he moves the pointer and taps the map in three other places: Cragmantle, Ljuk, and the Maakengorge.

‘Alas, I must inform you that not all of the missions have been a success. Black Hawk has not returned from the ruins of Cragmantle. Neither has Swift Sword from Ljuk. I sense that they did not survive the tasks I set them and my heart is heavy with their loss. They were both gifted Grand Masters and our Order is poorer for having lost them.’

A shadow of sadness darkens the Grand Hall and you feel the grief that you all now share upon hearing this regrettable news. Lone Wolf moves the pointer one last time and taps the Maakengorge.

‘This is where I dispatched Steel Hand to carry out his mission. He has not returned but I sense he is still alive. Guildmaster Banedon has gone back to Sommerlund to muster the help of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. They will assist a rescue mission to find and return Grand Master Steel Hand to us.’

Lone Wolf puts down the pointer and moves his head in a slow arc around the table, pausing to look each of you in the eyes for a few moments before moving on.

‘Grand Masters, we must discover the fates that befell Black Hawk and Swift Sword. We must rescue Steel Hand, and we must complete the missions that I set them. Your accomplishments have delayed the resurgence of evil from overwhelming the Freelands of Magnamund, but this evil is growing stronger every day, every week, every month that we fail to defeat it. We must strive again to stem this rising flood before it becomes too strong for us to counter.’

Lone Wolf returns to his throne and motions to Lord Rimoah to come forward. They exchange a few quiet words and then Lone Wolf addresses you for the last time this day.

‘Retire to your quarters and rest well, my Lords. I shall summon each of you tomorrow morning. Lord Rimoah and I shall decide the locations you shall be sent to complete the missions that remain unaccomplished.’

You leave the Grand Hall with Blazer and Star Lynx and retire to your private chamber. The loss of your brother Grand Masters is a bitter blow, but you try to put your grief to the back of your mind and concentrate on the mission that awaits you tomorrow.

Congratulations, Grand Master. You have achieved a great victory over the forces of darkness and saved Chai from certain destruction at the hands of Nadziran Zashnor and his fell minions. Soon your new mission will be revealed. You will discover the nature of the task that awaits you in the next exciting New Order adventure entitled:

Dead in the Deep