Abruptly, [Hero] stops and checks the southern wall. “Strange,” [Hero] muses. “I could have sworn…” [Hero] takes a step back and looks at the wall again.
[Hero] searches the wall systematically. Even though there is no opening to be seen, his/her fingers suddenly touch empty space. You hear a small click as [Hero] throws a tiny switch.
The opening leads to the cellar of the house. Do you want to climb through it?
The house is empty and deserted. Do you want to
Stay in the sewers
Enter the town
Do you want to climb through the opening to reach the town?
Do you want to climb up the stepladder?
The opening leads to the secret door of Ariana’s house. Do you want to:
Use the secret passage
Stay in the sewers
[Hero] opens the secret door a crack. However when [Hero] hears the voice of the guardian, [Hero] carefully closes it again.
Apparently, the examinations aren’t finished yet.
[Hero] says that we should start looking for the monster where we first saw it.
Despite all efforts, you cannot open this trellis.
Do you want to try to open the trellis?
[Hero] has barely started work on the lock when a voice rings out behind: “So, we’ve finally trapped you, villainous scum!”
Twelve heavily armed guards have come up behind you. Half of them immediately attack, while the others secure the corridor.
[Hero] has barely started work on the lock when a voice rings out behind,: “So, we have finally trapped you, villainous scum!”
Twelve heavily armed guards have come up behind [Hero]. Half of them immediately attack, while the others secure the corridor.
While searching the captains, [Hero] finds a big iron key that fits the lock on the trellis perfectly. [Hero] turns the key and pushes, then [Hero] pulls, but it just won’t move.
Some seconds later, two guardsmen approach from the other side of the trellis. When they see you, they are startled for a moment, then one of them runs back while the other retreats just far enough to keep an eye on you.
“Blasted fools” thunders [Hero]. “It’s a trap, we have to get out of here”!
Some seconds later, two guardsmen approach [Hero] from the other side of the trellis. When they see 0, they are startled for a moment, and then one of them runs back while the other retreats just far enough to keep an eye on [Hero].
“Blasted fools!” [Hero] thunders. “It’s a trap! We have to get out of here!”
It’ll be crawling with guards here any minute. You’d better get out of those sewers!
A squad of guardsmen catches you totally by surprise. You haven’t got a trout’s chance at a bear convention!
That’s the alcove the guardsmen used to hide in. Their camouflage was excellent, so it probably wasn’t meant for you but for the guild.
If there ever was anything of use in here, it’s been removed long ago.
Suddenly, Mandara stops and fiddles around on the wall. Next, part of it slides aside and frees the way into another passage.
There are voices coming from the passage. You listen carefully and try to avoid making any noise. Suddenly, you notice Mandara is missing. While you look around for her, several armed men sneak up on you. Within seconds, you are completely surrounded. Any attempt at resistance would be doomed from the start.
Without a word, the armed men lead you before a very strange couple. One is a tall man who wouldn’t be at all unpleasant if he weren’t looking at you so angrily. The other is Lea, the old beggar-woman, who no longer gives the impression that she was passed over by Hesinde when She passed out Her gifts. “More spies!” the man snarls in a hostile voice. “I assume you know what is in store for you!” His accompanying gesture leaves no doubt at all your lives are at stake. So far, you haven’t been disarmed. But the armed men are watchful. Better forget any ideas about drawing your weapons.
“Wait here!” the beggaress orders the armed men, and then she draws the man away to the far end of the room where she talks to him with some agitation. He appears unwilling to change his mind, though. You catch a few snatches of his voice: “… too great a risk… gambling with the lives of our men…”.
With a loud curse, one of your guards strikes his sword at a rat clinging to his pants’ leg. A squeaking sound grows louder by the moment. Suddenly, the whole room is literally inundated with rats.
In the ensuing chaos, no one pays any attention to you. You run to the door and escape. A few of the rats pursue you, but they soon give up the chase.
Abruptly, Mandara is back. You see a plump figure rush away from the corners of your eyes - the rat-catcher, possibly.
“Quick,” Mandara hisses. “Follow me!”
You hear the thud of boots from behind you. The guild is in hot pursuit!
Mandara hesitates for a second, but [Hero] runs to the east with all the more determination. “Stop,” Mandara cries. “That’s the wrong way!”
It’s a dead end! Hastily, you turn around, but your pursuers are far too close for you to stand any chance of escaping them now!
“Quiet…” whispers Mandara. You push back into a corner as well as you’re able and try to melt into the shadows. For a moment, it really seems as if your pursuers will pass you by, but then you’re caught in the light of a torch. A giant of a man sees you and cries out: “This way. They’re over here!”
When the pursuers are only a few steps away, Mandara suddenly jumps out with fast, inhuman movements. With an almost casual gesture, she pushes the giant’s head back and cuts open his neck with her nails. Rooted to the spot with fear, you watch Mandara drain her victim’s blood.
The elf fights back in desperation - but it’s hopeless. Despite all his strength, he cannot free himself from the grasp of puny Mandara.
Now the other pursuers approach, led by the tradesmaster! When he spies the death scene, he stops in his tracks. After a moment of shock, he holds out his hand for a crossbow and fires it straight at Mandara. The vampiress gives a short jolt when the bolt hits her body. Then, without letting go of her victim, she pulls the bolt free and drops it to the floor in one quick movement.
Abruptly, Mandara lets go. The man drops to the floor like a sack. When Mandara turns around and looks at you, you don’t recognize her any more. The gaunt wretch has turned into a hauntingly beautiful elvish woman. The only thing marring the overall impression are her long canine teeth.
Without a second look, the feylamia turns and charges your pursuers. They retreat slowly at first, then speed to panicked flight. Even the tradesmaster, who holds his ground for a few moments of indecision, finally runs away.
When the first rats appear and start to feed on the body, you finally find the strength to move again and get out of the sewers as fast as your legs can carry you.
You are suddenly cornered by a squad of armored men. You haven’t got a sugar cube’s chance in boiling water!
You notice a footbridge leading to the other wall. There must be another way, but you do not succeed in finding an opening mechanism.
It seems the guild moved its headquarters after you discovered it. This room is completely bare.
Do you want to enter the old sewers?
The waste pipe is large enough to walk along without any problems.
Hastily, [Hero] pulls you into a dark alcove, moments before you, too, hear heavy steps approaching from the west.
Hastily, [Hero] backs into a dark alcove when heavy steps approach from the west.
A large group of shadowy figures passes your hiding place. The strangers aren’t carrying any torches, and on reaching the sewer pipe, their steps grow fainter.
[Hero] cautiously looks out and sees one of them standing at the pipe entrance while the others go in, obviously leaving the sewers.
It’s quite a while before you hear the steps return. This time, they’re accompanied by heavy grunting. Again, the group of strangers passes by your hiding place, and they are carrying what appears to be a substantial load. [Hero] counts about twenty of them.
No more than a few steps to the west of your hideout, the strangers’ leader stops and does something to the south wall. He seems to have uncovered an opening, through which the strangers disappear one by one.
You are about to leave the alcove when the strangers come back through the opening in the south wall. Shortly before they appear, [Hero] hears a scratching noise, like stone moving across stone. The group divides. About half the men leave the sewers through the waste pipe, while the others disappear in the opposite direction.
Just to be on the safe side, you wait a few more minutes before you finally leave your hiding place. Apart from the gurgle of the sewage and the squeaking of the rats, the sewers are silent again.
This is the spot where the strangers went through the wall.
Do you want to examine it?
[Hero] gives you a confident smile. “It’s child’s play if you know what you’re looking for!” Still, it does take quite a while until [Hero] finally gets the secret door open.
If there’s one thing pirates can’t stand, it’s someone stealing their loot! At least, that would be the message conveyed by the hostile stance of the men surrounding you the minute you walk into the room. Wasting no time on pleasantries, they attack.
The pirates store their loot in here. Most of it is packed in bales, but there’s more than enough of it lying around loose as well.
At first glance, this wall looks just like all the others, but as you check again, you notice it has undergone some makeshift repairs. [Hero] pulls at one protruding brick that’s so loose, it comes off in his/her hands.
It doesn’t take much effort at all to uncover an opening leading into a low passage that goes up at an angle.[Hero] enters the passage and crawls up to the end of it.
![Hero] backs out again. What![Hero] has to report doesn’t seem to make much sense: “The passage ends inside a stone chest… with its bottom smashed open…”
“Say, this is the general area of the temple of Firun, isn’t it…,” muses 1[Hero].
The implication being, of course, that the passage leads into the stone sarcophagus. But if it does, the bottom of the sarcophagus has been smashed from the inside!
Here we have watched
a monster
eating.
The figure takes off its strange helmet. “I’m the rat-catcher! Let the rats and me pass!” He puts the helmet back on, presses past you and runs after the rats. Once the ratter is gone, you hear the eerie sound carry back to you from the distance again.
“Where is he taking those rats?” [Hero] asks.
You are sure this part of the passage wasn’t there when you searched the sewers the last time. [Hero] first checks the side walls, then [Hero] looks up. There, two narrow seams give a clue to where the wall that used to block this passage went.
After just a few steps, the new passage abruptly ends. “A dead-end!” [Hero] mumbles. “But why the secret door?” Suspiciously, [Hero] turns and starts.
Suddenly [Hero] hears a noise from behind. Suspiciously, [Hero] turns and starts.
In the passage behind you, you see an exceedingly gaunt figure, closer to a skeleton in appearance than to a human being. It is keeping a safe distance and appears ready to flee at the very first sign of trouble.
In town, you heard about the poor and destitute surviving down the sewers. Should those stories be true, this must be one of those pitiable wretches.
Slowly, so as not to frighten him away, [Hero] approaches the stranger. With suspicious looks from eyes buried deep within their sockets, the being watches [Hero]’s every move. [Hero] stops three paces in front of him.
The wretch looks scared, but doesn’t run. In a sudden inspiration [Hero] pulls some food from his/her pack and holds it out with a friendly smile. “I am [Hero],” [Hero] says, when the stranger takes the offered gift. “Mandara!” she replies with a soft voice and comes closer.
“A woman?” [Hero] cries in surprise and looks the stranger over from head to toe. She is so gaunt that she appears totally sexless, and the cloth wrapped tightly around her body makes her look more like a mummy than a woman.
Apparently, Mandara has become more trusting by now and comes closer again to [Hero]. Her wretched appearance makes [Hero] back away. Ashamed as [Hero] is for avoiding the destitute woman, [Hero] feels safer under cover of the party.
“You must know your way around here,” [Hero] asks, and Mandara replies by nodding eagerly. “Would you accompany us for a while?”
Mandara nods and joins your party, as if she’d been a member from the start. She obviously attempts to stay close to [Hero], who is just as obviously trying to keep a distance. Her close presence seems to make, uncomfortable.
Mandara appears to trust [Hero]. “You must know your way around here,” [Hero] asks, and Mandara replies by nodding eagerly. “Would you accompany me for a while?”
The last thing [Hero] sees, before darkness engulfs,, are two gleaming eyes of unnatural beauty.
The wretch looks scared but doesn’t run. In a sudden inspiration [Hero] pulls some food from his/her pack and holds it out with a friendly smile. “I am [Hero],” [Hero] says, when the stranger takes the offered gift. “Mandara!” she replies with a soft voice and pulls back again.
“You must know your way around here,” [Hero] asks, and Mandara replies by nodding eagerly. “Would you accompany us for a while?”
Mandara nods and joins your party, taking care to always keep a certain distance from you.
“You must know your way around here,” [Hero] asks. “Would you accompany me for a while?”
Mandara nods and joins [Hero], taking care to always keep a certain distance from,.
The tube serves to equalize the differences in depth between the sewer levels.
“Hey, we have to go to the north. We have to kill the Feylamia!”, Eleana says.
Do you want to:
Go with Lea to the Feylamia
Let Lea down
“I will be waiting for you at the headquarters!”, Lea calls behind you. “If you have collected enough courage you will find me there!”
Do you want to leave the sewers?
Do you want to climb up one level?
“Hello, here you are after all”, Lea greets you impatiently as you enter the headquarters. “We have already wasted too much time. Let’s go immediately to the north part of the sewers. There is a secret passage leading to the Feylamia’s refuge.”
When he sees you, the tradesmaster sighs with relief. “I need your help,” he says straight away. “The monster that has been haunting these sewers for so long now suddenly seems to be just about everywhere. My people hardly dare to leave the tower!”
“The Feylamia?” [Hero] asks in return.
“Indeed,” he nods. “She has grown very strong and openly attacks my people, even large groups of them. I’m desperate for someone to take care of it. I guess ‘Heroes’ would be the word for it!” He smiles at you imploringly.
“The vampiress’ hideout is probably north of here. Lea is going to accompany you. She has found a secret entrance. I can’t spare anyone else, because we’re in the middle of a war with the Sorrek pirates.”
A pretty young woman enters the room and comes up to you. “Ready?” she asks. You look at her in astonishment. But that voice… isn’t that…
“Lea?!” [Hero] shouts in surprise.
Now it’s her turn to look astonished. “Oh, yes!” she laughs. “You’ve never seen me out of disguise!”
“Please accept my apologies. Eleana of Arivor,” she introduces herself with a flourish. [Hero] shoots her an angry look. Then, his/her eyes catch Lothur, who has his face buried in his hands and is shaking with suppressed mirth. Suddenly, none of you can hold back the laughter anymore.
You regain consciousness at guild headquarters. Lothur Ui Chearghail is summoned. “We found you in front of the secret door!” he reports with some agitation. “What happened?” The tradesmaster listens to your story without interrupting you, then he says: “The entrance is blocked. We can’t get into the hideout. Do you know what has happened to Lea?”
You stare at him. It is only now that you notice she is missing!
Lea greets you as you enter headquarters. Laughing, she blocks your barrage of questions. “Hold it,” she says, “one at a time!
I managed to revive the rat-catcher,” she then explains. “Xebbert used the magician’s moonlight and pointed it at Mandara: she turned into ice and burst.” Lea is shaking all over, remembering it. “I had to divert her to buy the rat-catcher the time he needed.”
You wait for Lea to give her report to the tradesmaster. When she’s finished, Lohur turns back to you.
“My people made some inquiries for you,” Lothur states. “You’re not the only foreigners in town. A party of three men and two women asked a lot of questions during the last few days. Tarik feels that, judging by their attitude, they must be magicians, even though they are obviously trying to hide it.”
Hearing that, [Hero] flinches and makes a mental note to have a few words with Tarik one of these days!
“Now, the interesting thing is: they have disappeared. One of my informants saw a squad of guards with some prisoners on the night of their disappearance. Everything points to them being held prisoner at the castle. They might make allies for you.”
The tradesmaster explains: “I shall send my people out to gather some more information. If you return in two or three days, I’ll be able to tell you a way to enter the castle unnoticed.”
Lothur bids you wait a while longer. “My people haven’t reported back yet,” he says. “You’ll have to wait a bit yet.”
“We found a secret passage in Mandara’s hideout. It leads straight up into the castle, probably an escape tunnel originally.” Lothur looks around as if searching for something and gets up. “Be right back…”
Presently, he returns with Lea, who is leaning on the stick she usually uses for her beggaress’ disguise. “The passage leads through the sewers,” she tells you. “A water dragon has made its lair there. The beast blocked my way back. It took me more than two days to get out of the castle undetected!”
“A water dragon!” [Hero] doesn’t look convinced. “How could you have gotten out of the castle at all?”
Lea’s answer is: “I jumped the wall into the Kvill. But the water wasn’t deep enough.” Only now do you notice her left leg is thick with bandages. Looks like she isn’t using the stick for show.
“So, to get into the castle, we’ll have to somehow get past the water dragon. Great, I’ve always dreamed about a chance like that!” [Hero] grumbles darkly.
Along the way, you inform the mage of your ties to the guild. Rohezal of the Anvil has a proposition for [Hero]:
“We should hold a council with the guild leaders. The danger is immense, and we need every bit of assistance.”
Lothur Ui Chearghail doesn’t ask any questions, when [Hero] tells him of the mage’s request, and calls together the guild captains.
“Borbarad’s power is arisen again, and it has done so here in Riva!” Rohezal announces to his expectant listeners. Frightened, they look at each other. The demon lord Borbarad was cast into Limbo by Rohal himself centuries ago, but still his name alone is sufficient to spread fear and terror.
“Praise the Twelve. It isn’t the Damned One himself we are up against, just his foul legacy. But it is too dangerous for me to dare face it by myself.”
Shocked murmurs run through the audience. Rohezal waits patiently for the listeners’ attention to return to his words.
“Let me tell you what we have found.”
“The orcs!” the tradesmaster shouts. “Do you mean the orc wars were the queen’s doing?”
Rohezal sways his head. “The actions of the queen’s tribes have encouraged almost all the other orcs to rise as well. The queen’s death will not end the war, as there are probably other motives for the uprising as well. But one thing is sure: If the queen is destroyed, the orc wars will be nothing but a memory in just a few years time.”
“The queen must be destroyed!” Rohezal underlines. “Otherwise, she might one day be able to enslave not just orcs but other folk as well. Who can say? We must prevent a second queen from hatching and spreading this evil across all of Arkania.
We must not hesitate and lose what might very well be the very last chance we have!”
“We shall try to discover the queen’s hiding place as soon as we have regained our strength,” the mage says, gesturing toward his colleagues. “But something else must be done in the meantime. Borbarad’s wand is still aboard the ‘Even Star’. The power of that wand alone makes it possible to weaken the queen’s might enough for her defeat to become imaginable. Someone must salvage that wand!”
All eyes are resting upon you, including those of Rohezal. “Give us one day to rest,” he says to you. “Then we can start.”
Full of suspicion, Rohezal accepts Borbarad’s wand and starts a thorough examination of its runic inscription. “These runes are completely unknown to me,” he growls. “I doubt there is anyone in Riva who could make sense of them.”
Lothur ponders that problem for a while. “There’s the seeress Quenya Stardust, a woman of extraordinary abilities. I wouldn’t be at all surprised, now, if she had knowledge of ancient glyphs as well.”
“We have found the queen’s location,” Racalla of Horsen-Ravenbeak explains. “She has her hive in the cellars of the new city hall. Mind you, it is magically protected. But we have an idea how we might reach her even so. To make it possible, the few men Lothur could spare from the war against the Sorrek pirates are even now at work digging a tunnel.”
She looks at you apologetically. “If you could see a way to contact Quenya Stardust…”
“Say no more!” [Hero] replies laconically and takes the wand from Rohezal’s hand.
“We must be patient.” Again, Rohezal of the Anvil studies the parchment and fingers the rune wand. “They have not returned as yet!”
The guild headquarters is a veritable hive of activity itself again. Lothur, Lea, and the five mages are sitting in council. When Lea sees you, she gestures for you to join them.
“We have worked out a plan. Listen!” says Saldor Foslarin. “Using the rune wand, we can curtail the queen’s power enough for a few people to enter her hive.”
“Enter her hive?” [Hero] wonders. “How big is that thing?”
“About the size of a large anthill, maybe a half man-high!” Landor Gerrano explains. “We will cast a shrinking spell on those chosen to enter the hive.”
“…and with the aid of the rune wand, we can weaken the magic protection of the wall!” Rohezal of the Anvil, who has something of a death grip on that wand, pipes in.
“So - it’s up to us again!”[Hero] states in a serious voice.
“Everybody has their task!” Haldana of Ilmenstone explains. “We maintain the spell, the guild stirs up unrest in town, and you enter the hive!”
“We know full well your task will not be easy,” Racalla adds, “especially so, as we will be unable to shrink your equipment as well. You will not be able to take anything along, not even your clothes, and must make do with what you find inside.”
“The only thing we can give you to take along is a magical amulet to signal us when you have bested the queen. Once you do, we shall end the shrinking spell. But beware of using the amulet too soon. Should you do so while the hive is still magically protected, its indestructible walls will crush you!”
“No arms or armor?!” [Hero] gulps.
“The queen will be severely weakened!” Rohezal tries to calm you. “You do have a real chance of winning! But you must not fail!”
The guild headquarters are almost deserted. Rohezal of the Anvil is sitting by himself on a chair, but on seeing you, he jumps up with relief. He takes back Borbarad’s wand and pours eagerly over the soothsayeress’ translation. While reading it, he softly mumbles to himself. Hesitantly, [Hero] tips the mage’s shoulder.
“What?” Rohezal grumbles.
“Ehm, where is everybody?” asks [Hero].
The mage puts aside the parchment.
“The war against the pirates has reached the decisive stage,” he explains. “Lothur is leading his people into battle to keep our backs secure in the assault on the hive. The queen must not get a chance to send those under her command against us.
My colleagues have retreated to gather their strength. We shall sorely need it.”
Guild Headquarters
Do you want to:
Re-equip
Rest
Talk to the tradesmaster
Leave the headquarters
A guild fighter leads you to a bedroom with a hearty meal waiting for you. Then, she leaves you to rest.
The guild headquarters is nearly deserted.
“Everybody is on their way to Sorrek, including the tradesmaster. He is leading our forces himself,” a guild fighter explains. “One way or the other, the fight against the pirates will be over soon!”
“You took your sweet time!” is the heartfelt greeting Saldor Foslarin has in store for you. By now, you have grown used to the mage’s direct, at times insulting, ways and pay no attention to him, which makes his blood boil in return.
While Landor Gerrano tries in vain to calm down his colleague, [Hero] turns to Lothur who is observing the mages arguing with a certain amount of glee.
“Now what?” The tradesmaster gestures toward Haldana of Ilmenstone who enters the room with a long bundle.
“These are kajubo buds,” she explains and points to the package. “With their help, you will be able to last half an hour without air. We will cast a spell on you to enable you to breathe underwater, but you better take these as well, just in case it doesn’t last long enough.”
Now Lea hobbles in. “I’ve got some shoes for you,” she explains. Pointing at her bandaged leg, she adds: “I can’t wear ‘em myself right now!”
[Hero] looks at her as if she’d gone mad.
“The shoes are weighted down with lead,” Lothur explains. “Once you’re down on the bottom, they’ll make movement easier.”
At the river bank, Rohezal puts his hands on [Hero]’s eyes.
“This spell will let you see well even at the greatest depths,” he explains, then cups a handful of water from the river, blows gently across it and touches [Hero]’s mouth and nose with his right hand.
“The other spell, enabling you to breathe underwater, will last for approximately six hours. You must complete your task by then.”
Then, all the others in your party undergo the same treatment.
[Hero] starts to gasp, and despite drawing in great lungfulls of air, [Hero] feels like suffocating. - High time you get into the water!
Despite the fact that you are running out of air, you step into the water hesitantly. The banks are steep and after a few steps you are already standing in chest-deep water.[Hero] stays back a bit to avoid diving right away.
Despite the fact that you are running out of air, you step into the water hesitantly. The banks are steep and after a few steps you are already standing in chest-deep water.
The ground is rocky here. Suddenly [Hero] stops where the ground slopes down steeply before,.
[Hero] dives 1_ headfirst underwater before doing the decisive step to check 1 new capability. [Hero] cannot bring 0self to continue breathing, but holds 1_ and dives up.
Perhaps I will succeed when there is no possibility to retreat”, [Hero] thinks and goes further.
light of the moon
sun light
You sink down from the slightly hanging cliff. At the water surface the breaks, the beams disappear beneath you.
The more you sink down, the darker it gets around you. You are still able to hold your breath, but when you reach the ground, [Hero]’s energy is used up and everything goes black before, eyes.
Rohezal of the Anvil won’t hear of it. “You will need all your strength against the queen. Go and retrieve your companions, and we can begin.”
Rohezal of the Anvil literally jumps from his chair when you enter the room, and all the other mages appear stressed as well. The tradesmaster stops his pacing across the room and turns toward you.
“My people have completed the tunnel into the city hall,” Lothur says. “The clerks rarely enter the cellars unless they’ve run out of ink… As long as the queen doesn’t alert her pawns, you won’t be noticed.”
“The queen will remain calm!” Rohezal states confidently. But you notice he is fingering Borbarad’s wand while saying so.
Hesitantly, you start to move. In the sewers and below city hall, you see the results of what must have been hours of drudgery. A large hole gapes in the wall. “We could only dig nights while the city hall was empty,” Lea explains.
In the cellar, guild fighters are waiting for you. “All quiet!” Tarik whispers. After taking you to the queen’s hive, the guild members start the march back.
“You know where to find us!” the tradesmaster says in a rough voice. “There’ll be chaos in the town in just a few minutes. That’s when you’ll have to act!” He hesitates for a moment, then he turns abruptly and leaves.
Lea hugs each and everyone of you. “Take care!” she whispers hoarsely. Her eyes are moist. Then she, too, runs out.
Lea hugs [Hero]. “Take care!” she whispers. Her eyes are moist. Then she, too, runs out.
You wait until you are sure all guild members have left the city hall. Tense, you look down at what seems to be just a normal anthill.
The exit is blocked by some bushes that are quite easy to push aside.
Would you rather:
Dive below the cave-in
Or turn around and look for another way
Who shall dive underneath the cave-in?
Do you want to tie a rope to [Hero]’s waist?
As [Hero] is able to breathe under water, it is no problem for 0 to dive underneath the cave.
Gasping, [Hero] fills his/her burning lungs with air upon reaching the other side.
Skillfully, [Hero] ties the rope to a protruding rock and makes sure it’s secure by tugging on it.
[Hero] secures the rope at this end, so you can follow [Hero] across.
[Hero] is straining for breath! Black dots start to dance in front of - eyes. In the end, everything turns black.
[Hero] notices the rope in!- hands go limp. Slowly at first, then with mounting urgency, you pull the rope back in.
Hauling [Hero] out of the water seems to take half an eternity. [Hero] has swallowed an awful lot of water. [Hero]’s lost consciousness, but at least [Hero]’s still alive.
Increasingly nervous, you wait in vain for a sign from [Hero]. That can mean only one of two things: Either [Hero] is unable to return, or [Hero] has drowned…
Your rope is right were you left it. Do you want to dive across?
The passage has collapsed at this point, but there are tools and wooden beams around that you could use to hold up the ceiling to prevent any further cave-in. Apparently, there has been some work done on this site before. Do you want to try to clear the passage?
Directed by [Hero], you start to dig out the passage and secure it with beams. You’re making good, though exceedingly slow, progress.
Patiently, [Hero] starts to dig out the passage and secure it with the beams. It seems to work just fine, though progress is excruciatingly slow.
Mind you, you’ll hardly win a prize for your construction skills. [Hero] is about to set the last beam when the ceiling starts to give and the whole passage comes down around your heads.
[Hero] can just barely avoid the collapsing beams without getting seriously clobbered.
[Hero] is hit by one of the beams and falls to the ground.
[Hero] is buried completely underneath the collapsed ceiling.
You set to work right away, but all you can retrieve is![Hero]’s dead body.
1[Hero] sets to work right away, but all 1[Hero] can retrieve is![Hero]’s dead body.
Care for another try at rebuilding the passage?
Once again, you start to clear and secure the passage. And you pay more attention to what you’re doing this time.
“That’s what you think!” whispers [Hero] and fingers the wall. Suddenly, a section of it slides aside.
“What’s that?” [Hero] whispers and touches the wall. Suddenly a part of the wall moves to one side.
[Hero] studies the three holes in the wall, after which [Hero] takes out the rat-catcher’s artifact. [Hero] puts the rods into the holes and pushes the button. A soft click can be heard. [Hero] thinks for a moment, then [Hero] pulls the artifact free again. At that precise moment, the wall starts to move and reveals an opening.
[Hero] stops abruptly, for [Hero] has noticed three round holes in the wall. Cautiously, [Hero] approaches and checks them out, but [Hero] doesn’t find anything.
“There it is!” Lea says all of a sudden. [Hero] looks around, searching, but can’t find anything. Meanwhile, Lea is busy working on the west wall…
[Hero] looks at the portal with a foreboding feeling in his/her heart. “Very welcoming!” [Hero] states through clenched teeth.
Are you ready to enter the lair of the Feylamia?
We should strengthen ourselves, otherwise we don’t have any chance against the Feylamia!
The entry is locked. You cannot open it.
With a dull, thumping sound the door falls shut behind you.
Forget it, that door isn’t going to budge. Like it or not, you’ll have to find some other way out.
Do you want to leave the lair of the Feylamia?
That’s the point where Mandara disappeared through the wall! [Hero] looks the wall over quite thoroughly without finding anything out of the ordinary. But when [Hero] gives it a slight push, a door suddenly opens.
As [Hero] gives the wall a slight push, it suddenly gives.
The lever immediately snaps back into its original position. How about leaving someone here to keep it down?
Who should stay at the lever?
[Hero] stays behind to keep the lever in its present position.
The lever immediately snaps back into its original position!
“There is nothing to be done,” [Hero] states after a short glance at the portcullis.
Before you have time to react, the portcullis slams down and skewers the lot of you.
You suddenly hear a horrified scream from where you have left [Hero]. You race back…
…to find the gate blocking your way! Obviously, [Hero] must have let go of the lever. Your shouts remain unanswered, but[Hero] thinks![Hero] hears a low, subdued moaning.
A long time passes, but despite listening intently, you don’t hear a thing. Suddenly, a soft rustling becomes audible, followed by soft footsteps coming closer. A figure dressed in black turns the corner.
“Mandara!” 1[Hero] whispers in horror. Without paying you any attention, the Feylamia disappears through the western wall. When the portcullis reopens a short time later, you run to look after [Hero].
[Hero] is holding on to the lever while swaying like a leaf in the wind. When [Hero] sees you, [Hero] sinks to the floor in exhaustion.[Hero] hastily examines,, but![Hero] can’t find any wounds. “What happened?”![Hero] asks, sounding confused.
[Hero] blushes: “She kissed me!” he whispers.
“I’ve plunged to the depths of terror,” [Hero] tells you. “She just kept staring at me! Like a cat watching a juicy mouse.”
Well. Looks like [Hero] made it through alive this time.
he
she
his
her
With some amazement [Hero] looks down at lying motionless on the floor. [Hero] has lost consciousness and 4 breathing is very shallow. A fairly fresh neck wound leaves no doubt about why [Hero] looks so pale.
From the looks of it, this room was designed as a jail cell, though it doesn’t contain any inmates at the moment.
It’s a jail cell. Right now, it is inhabited by Xebbert Drbann, the rat-catcher, who is chained to the wall. He shows no reaction when you talk to him, but just stares into empty space at something you can’t see. It takes [Hero] just a few quick movements to free the man, but Drbann stays as apathetic as before. In the end, you decide to leave the ratter here for now and look around some more.
The rat-catcher’s condition is unchanged. All your attempts to shake Drbann from his trance-like state fail.
The cell is empty! Xebbert Drbann is gone!
[Hero] backs away… then runs into[Hero], who pushes, forward again. “Let us know when you’ve killed the dragon!”[Hero] says pointedly.
You could approach the dragon on the raft.
Feel like fighting a dragon today, do you?
Fortunately, this raft is constructed like a ferry. You pull the rope at this side, thus fetching the raft.
Do you want to enter the castle?
This is a bathroom. You can see a large wooden tub, several buckets of fresh water and a round hole in the floor covered with two wooden planks. Small jars of oils and salves rest on a small shelf.
The locker contains arms and armor. Presumably, this is the elf’s equipment.
[Hero] can’t shake the sensation of being watched by unseen eyes. While [Hero] is looking about, Lea spreads the contents of the chest on the floor. A beautiful hooded cape takes her particular fancy. Lea pulls it on, and suddenly, she disappears in front of your very eyes!
You look at where you last saw Lea. Now, [Hero] notices two more shadows on the wall than those cast by your party. One of the shadows, probably Lea, bends down, and a dagger with a silver blade levitates from the ground and abruptly flies across the room. The second shadow backs away with lightning speed and disappears down the hallway.
The other shadow remains still for a while. The dagger disappears. A bottle containing what you have already identified as “Doctor Tronde Tromboson’s Potion of Miraculous Recuperation” disappears as well. After that, this shadow, too, fades away in the diffused light of the corridor.
“Lea?” [Hero] calls out softly, but there is no response.
The shelves are filled to bursting with parchment scrolls. When [Hero] pulls one out, a whole bunch of them come tumbling down on his/her head. Carefully, you replace them.
[Hero] settles into a chair in one corner of the room with one of the scrolls.
With a shriek, [Hero] jumps up, when [Hero] feels the chair moving beneath, and two invisible arms enfolding,. [Hero] stares at the piece of furniture in shock. Could [Hero] have been imagining things? A soft giggle coming from nowhere, and a door seemingly opening and closing by itself, prove otherwise.
[Hero] almost knocked down the shelves in his/her fright, and the floor is covered with scrolls. Cursing,[Hero] bends down to pick them up. A bound tome tumbles down from one of the shelves right on top of!his/her left big toe. Looking at it, you see “DIARY” is set in large letters on the front of the book.
A chair, what else?
[Hero] would really love to take a rest in the cosy armchair. However, this piece of furniture seems so uncanny to, that [Hero] refrains from doing so.
[Hero] takes a look at the coal brazier, then examines the shelves. “No shortage of fuel, I see,” [Hero] says with a grin. I guess no one could accuse 0 of being a bibliophile.
“Don’t you dare!” roars[Hero] at [Hero] and jumps in front of the shelves like a sleek panther protecting her young.
The coal in the brazier is still softly glowing and spreads a comfortable warmth.
[Hero] makes straight for the chair, but then [Hero] seems to remember something. [Hero] carefully pats the seat, before sitting down. Even so, [Hero] doesn’t seem all that comfortable.
With some amusement, you watch [Hero], who, while choosing the most comfortable chair available, doesn’t seem to be enjoying it too much. Nervously, %o eyes dart across the room, constantly on the lookout for an unseen presence…
The desktop contains several empty sheets of parchment in a neat stack, with a feather pen and an inkwell next to them. If I might may make a suggestion: the desk drawer could prove more interesting.
Cautiously, [Hero] climbs up the ladder. In the north wall, [Hero] discovers several small holes and takes a look through them. With some amazement, [Hero] findshis-/herself looking out into the former guild headquarters. On investigating further, [Hero] notices some seams in the wall which suggest a secret door. However, the way to open it will have to remain a mystery… it appears to require the Feylamia’s mystic powers.
“We’ve been tricked!” curses [Hero] after getting back down. “That evil woman wanted us to discover the headquarters to make the guild move back to where she could use her secret entrance again!”
“It’s her bedroom!” [Hero] states with a grave expression on seeing the coffin. It is lined with wine-red velvet and contains an embroidered shroud shot through with silver and gold threads.
![Hero]’s eyes light up, and![Hero] makes an immediate grab for the shroud. There’s a loud slap, and[Hero] draws back with a cry of pain. “Ouch,”![Hero] whines and looks for whoever slapped!his/her wrist.
The wardrobe is filled with various bulging dresses of diverse colors. The Feylamia is a woman of exquisite taste, it seems, or at least exquisite dress sense.
[Hero] barely touchs the mirror when the world around, appears to dissolve. Shocked and dismayed, you watch [Hero] being drawn into the mirror. % silhouette fades away. Soon, the mirror looks just the way it did before.
[Hero] barely touches the mirror when the whole world starts to whirl around, and [Hero] is drawn into the mirror.
A feeling of nausea attacks [Hero], and for a moment, [Hero] feels as if the floor has dropped out from under his/her feet. But right away, the sensation passes, and [Hero] is back on secure ground.
[Hero] cannot move. A blind panic grows inside,, and the urge to move grows overpowering. By and by, [Hero]’s mind is clouding. It takes a long time for the panic and confusion to give way to merciful darkness.
“The key from the desk fits!”, [Hero] shouts and inserts the key into the lock of the chest. The key fits, however, the chest cannot be opened.
The crystal fits perfectly inside the lantern you found before inside the magician’s chest.
[Hero] feels a hard blow to the back of his/her head, and then everything goes dark.
A pair of bright, glowing eyes appears in front of [Hero]. They seem to be staring straight into his/her soul. % initial unease gives way to a feeling of warmth and pleasant drowsiness…
A dark shadow appears for a second in the mirror on the northern wall. [Hero] thinks, [Hero] can recognize Mandara. A pair of bright, glowing eyes appear in front of [Hero]’s face, and they try in vain to draw, into their spell. When the Feylamia sees she can’t mesmerize [Hero], she attacks,.
[Hero] saw the attack coming and tries to dodge, but a hard blow hits % shoulder and makes, stumble back against the southern wall mirror… which immediately swallows,…
“Now that looks a lot more inviting than the coffin in the living room,” declares [Hero].
The bed is very large, looks exceedingly comfortable and appears to be in regular use. “Pity…,” [Hero] whispers with some regret.
There are jars of make up and perfume on the dresser.
This mirror is of a different color than the rest. [Hero] touches the glass but nothing happens.
…transporting, to very confusing surroundings indeed. [Hero] needs a while to get his/her bearings. Cautiously, [Hero] puts one foot in front of the other and watches the pictures in the mirrors change.
Cold sweat appears on % brow when, all of a sudden, [Hero] sees Mandara in the mirrors. [Hero] spreads his/her arms and whirls around. % hands don’t touch anything, so the invisible elf doesn’t seem to be in - immediate vicinity.
Hauntedly, [Hero] throws fearful glances all around and starts to run across the room. Every now and then, [Hero] catches a glimpse of Mandara’s mirror image, but there’s no sign of her in person!
[Hero] gives a frightened scream when an arm encircles 1_ neck from behind, and [Hero] feelshis-/herself being strangled. In one of the mirrors, [Hero] can seehis-/herself and Mandara’s hands upon,…
Bright points of light are dancing in front of [Hero]’s eyes, and [Hero] has trouble registering events. A muffled scream reaches his/her ears, the pressure on - throat is gone, and someone pulls, aside.
[Hero] stares at Lea. It takes a while for the burning pain of her slapping his/her face to register. A short distance away, Xebbert Drbann jumps madly across the room, holding something glittering in his right hand.
You cautiously retreat to the entrance. The rat-catcher keeps the silver dagger in his outstretched hand. Still, Mandara is visible only inside the mirrors. She doesn’t move, only her eyes are following you, searching for an opening.
“Moonlight kills the Feylamia!” Lea whispers so softly, only [Hero] can hear.
The ratter looks about searchingly. The magic mirrors have gone, as have Mandara’s remains. “…Just an illusion?” he asks, softly.
Hesitating, he picks up the moonlight, turns around with a sudden determination, and storms out.
Slowly, the elf approaches the exit you are blocking… Wait… she is approaching you!
The images the mirrors show you are confusing to say the least. Mandara is moving much faster now. Those treacherous mirrors give absolutely no indication of how far away she is. Xebbert Drbann is waving the silver dagger about with obvious concern.
With maddening speed and an ear-splitting screech, the Feylamia is on top of you. Xebbert Drbann gets shoved aside, and [Hero] is hit a hard blow pushing, back… Lea screams. Mandara has gone. Her steps fade away down the hall.
Suddenly, the world seems to be coming to an end around you. All the mirrors blow apart in shattering explosions, their shards hitting the ground in a shrill dissonance before they simply dissolve.
[Hero]’s backpack has opened, and the contents are strewn all over the floor. His eyes glowing with a mad fever, the rat-catcher stares at the moonlight, and before [Hero] has a chance to stop him, the man has taken it and is gone.
Suddenly, a shadow appears from the darkness. It is Mandara. Without a word, she joins you again.
Once out of the sewers, you notice that Mandara has disappeared.
“Unfortunately, we have not yet found the monster. I think we should resume the search for it as soon as possible,” [Hero] says.