riverboat, you see that the passengers ahead of you are being stopped at the end of the gangplank by two Seroan City Guardsmen. They are collecting their riverboat tickets.
Illustration III —Two Seroan City Guardsmen stop passengers at the end of the gangplank to collect their riverboat tickets.
If you possess a Riverboat Ticket, turn to 153 .
If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 27 .
47
The town of Jaroc has little to entice you to stay here any longer. The weather has steadily improved since you left the Dammerdon Mountains and so you resolve to try to make up for the time that was lost to the storm.
You leave the town and for the next two days you ride in a northeasterly direction, across a rich expanse of rolling prairie. The riding is easy and the fine weather helps you make good progress. By noon of the third day you have covered nearly 200 miles and you are feeling in good spirits. The prairie gradually gives way to a region of hilly uplands that lie sandwiched between two mountain ranges. Here you happen upon a rutted track that leaves the prairie and winds through the hills through a high pass. There are no signposts on this road, but Karvas is familiar with this region and he tells you that it leads to an outpost town called Battle Pass. You are in the land of Lunarlia and for centuries this realm has been the enemy of Siyen — Prince Karvas' homeland. Many wars have been waged between the two kingdoms and this region has seen countless battles. Karvas pledges to end these wars. When he is crowned King of Siyen he vows that he will seek a lasting peace with the kingdom of Lunarlia.
It is noon and a warm sun is beating down on the fortified town of Battle Pass as you approach its west gate. Karvas is grateful that he is wearing the clothes of a Sommlending journeyman, for the inhabitants of this tough frontier post are notoriously hostile to the Siyenese. To your surprise, the guards at the gate pay you scant attention and you are allowed to enter the town with little more than a cursory glance. You ask Karvas why this is so and he tells you that riders approaching from the west, the Lunarlian side, are allowed to pass freely. Riders from the east, the Siyenese side, are subjected to far greater scrutiny.
Beyond the west gate a broad avenue opens out into a main square that is bordered by a trading post, a barracks, and a tavern. Both you and Karvas are especially thirsty after your ride through the dry, dusty hills, and you are eager to seek out some refreshment.
If you wish to visit the tavern, turn to 266 .
If you prefer to visit the trading post, turn to 120 .
48
Having decided the places where each of you will search for the whereabouts of Price Karvas, you follow Acraban to the rear deck and enter the skyship's boarding cage. Swiftly it is winched down to the market square where you are met unexpectedly by a pressing crowd of grimy-faced street urchins. They have been gathering here since dawn to stare in wonderment at the
Starstrider
hovering motionless in the cloudless sky above. Acraban scatters a handful of copper coins across the cobblestones and the children scramble to retrieve them. This creates enough space to allow Zinair to open the cage door and the three of you to step out. After agreeing to return to the skyship no later than sunset, you split up and go in search of your chosen destinations.
Unlike the urchins, the adult population of Mydnight appears less than fascinated by the imposing sight of the
Starstrider
hovering above their city. Few give it a second glance. This seeming lack of interest does not surprise you. For centuries this port has been a refuge for exiles from the many nations of Magnamund who, for their own individual reasons, have chosen to forsake their native lands. They are, by nature, a secretive community. Any overt interest in the affairs of another is often viewed with suspicion and distrust. You retrace the route you took last night and soon
Illustration III —Two Seroan City Guardsmen stop passengers at the end of the gangplank to collect their riverboat tickets.
If you possess a Riverboat Ticket, turn to 153 .
If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 27 .
47
The town of Jaroc has little to entice you to stay here any longer. The weather has steadily improved since you left the Dammerdon Mountains and so you resolve to try to make up for the time that was lost to the storm.
You leave the town and for the next two days you ride in a northeasterly direction, across a rich expanse of rolling prairie. The riding is easy and the fine weather helps you make good progress. By noon of the third day you have covered nearly 200 miles and you are feeling in good spirits. The prairie gradually gives way to a region of hilly uplands that lie sandwiched between two mountain ranges. Here you happen upon a rutted track that leaves the prairie and winds through the hills through a high pass. There are no signposts on this road, but Karvas is familiar with this region and he tells you that it leads to an outpost town called Battle Pass. You are in the land of Lunarlia and for centuries this realm has been the enemy of Siyen — Prince Karvas' homeland. Many wars have been waged between the two kingdoms and this region has seen countless battles. Karvas pledges to end these wars. When he is crowned King of Siyen he vows that he will seek a lasting peace with the kingdom of Lunarlia.
It is noon and a warm sun is beating down on the fortified town of Battle Pass as you approach its west gate. Karvas is grateful that he is wearing the clothes of a Sommlending journeyman, for the inhabitants of this tough frontier post are notoriously hostile to the Siyenese. To your surprise, the guards at the gate pay you scant attention and you are allowed to enter the town with little more than a cursory glance. You ask Karvas why this is so and he tells you that riders approaching from the west, the Lunarlian side, are allowed to pass freely. Riders from the east, the Siyenese side, are subjected to far greater scrutiny.
Beyond the west gate a broad avenue opens out into a main square that is bordered by a trading post, a barracks, and a tavern. Both you and Karvas are especially thirsty after your ride through the dry, dusty hills, and you are eager to seek out some refreshment.
If you wish to visit the tavern, turn to 266 .
If you prefer to visit the trading post, turn to 120 .
48
Having decided the places where each of you will search for the whereabouts of Price Karvas, you follow Acraban to the rear deck and enter the skyship's boarding cage. Swiftly it is winched down to the market square where you are met unexpectedly by a pressing crowd of grimy-faced street urchins. They have been gathering here since dawn to stare in wonderment at the
Starstrider
hovering motionless in the cloudless sky above. Acraban scatters a handful of copper coins across the cobblestones and the children scramble to retrieve them. This creates enough space to allow Zinair to open the cage door and the three of you to step out. After agreeing to return to the skyship no later than sunset, you split up and go in search of your chosen destinations.
Unlike the urchins, the adult population of Mydnight appears less than fascinated by the imposing sight of the
Starstrider
hovering above their city. Few give it a second glance. This seeming lack of interest does not surprise you. For centuries this port has been a refuge for exiles from the many nations of Magnamund who, for their own individual reasons, have chosen to forsake their native lands. They are, by nature, a secretive community. Any overt interest in the affairs of another is often viewed with suspicion and distrust. You retrace the route you took last night and soon
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