12
You find Oz-na-Mun sitting before his shack, staring at a tall mass of moist, red clay before him. His gaunt face is full of sorrow and he does not even look up when you approach. ‘So you have come,’ he says, flatly.
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‘You knew I was coming?’ you reply, surprised.
‘He has been here; your shadow brother, your dark self. There was a girl with him also.’
‘I seek the Moonstone of the Shianti,’ you state. ‘Do you know where it is and how it may be found?’
The sad-eyed man looks at you solemnly. ‘There is a mountain, the Moaning Mountain it is called. In the side of the mountain is a cavern and at the end of the cavern is a Gate from this realm to the next, a place known as the Vale of Peace. The people of the Vale are wise and friendly; they will show you the way to the hidden realm of the Moonstone. Here, take this map of the Moaning Mountain.’ He gives you a cloth map showing the location of the cavern. Mark this as a Special Item on your Action Chart and carry it in a small pocket inside your robe.
‘But first you must leave this realm and save the girl.’ You nod your head. ‘You will have to bargain with the Master.’ You look puzzled and the man explains: ‘All who come to the Realm of Paradox may ask for a gift from the god and, if it is within his power, he must give it. But beware his bargains. He has many cruel gifts: gifts such as these.’ Oz-na-Mun raises his hands and you look at them with horror. They are the hands of a giant and are grossly out of proportion with the rest of his body.
‘Once, I was a great sculptor and in my home realm of Meledor I was respected by all. But I hungered for greater success. I took up the company of a mage and one night we summoned the Chaos-master together. His spirit came easily, for the realm of Meledor and the Realm of Paradox are joined. I told him that I desired the greatest hands in the world that I might make the greatest sculptures in the world. He said he could grant me my wish on condition that I remain in his realm until completion of my first work. I agreed and as soon as I was brought here, I discovered that my hands had been transformed. However, they were not as I had wished: they were clumsy, rough, fit only for digging clay not shaping it. I have never made another piece.’ He curls a huge hand into a fist and punches the shapeless mass before him. ‘Beware the bargains of the Chaos-master. He is a malevolent god.’
‘What does he want with the girl, Tanith?’ you ask.
‘He will bargain with her, also.’ He tells you that you can summon the Chaos-master by calling to him for audience. ‘But beware! The bargains of the Chaos-master are in keeping with the law of Paradox: opposites and contradictions.’
‘There is no other way of saving Tanith,’ you reply, sadly. ‘I must summon the Chaos-master.’
