98

‘Come, Grand Master. You’re going home,’ she says, and she takes you by the hand and leads you to the middle of the banquet hall, to a place directly opposite the great fireplace. ‘But first we must make preparations for the journey.’

Alyss then proceeds to remove an amulet from around the throat of your slain adversary. She presses it into your palm and tells you to put it on immediately. (Record this Special Item on your Action Chart as Wolf’s Bane’s Amulet, which you wear on a chain around your neck. You must discard another Special Item in its favour if you already possess the maximum permissible.)

When you have done as she requests, she then touches her finger to the two amulets that you now wear, and she smiles.

‘Good, good,’ she enthuses, ‘these baubles will take care of you.’

She then takes a piece of limestone from her pocket and proceeds to draw a pentagram on the floor of the hall. She has half completed the complicated design when suddenly she becomes agitated.

‘Must hurry,’ she mumbles, ‘must, must hurry.’

Suddenly the fire in the hearth flares brightly. The flames begin to grow and whirl and slowly change colour.

‘It’s no good!’ cries Alyss, tearful with frustration. Angrily she casts her chunk of crumbling limestone at the roaring flames and then leaps to her feet and comes rushing to your side. ‘It’s too late!’ she screams, her voice now barely audible above the unnatural crackling of the fire. ‘Naar is summoning his champion!’

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 273.

If it is 5–9, turn to 67.