128

As the stone door grinds open, the man jerks his head back in surprise. ‘Who’s there?’ he whispers, in a thin strangled voice. His eyes glint from beneath the shadow of his ragged hood. Suddenly he seems to recognize you and jumps excitedly to his feet.

‘The gods be praised, a Kai Lord! My name is Tygon. I’m a merchant from Ragadorn. The Ice Barbarians kidnapped me in Ljuk and brought me here. I now await an audience with their new Brumalmarc, the Sommlending sorcerer they call Vonotar: it seems that he shall decide my fate. But if you free me from this sorcerer’s pentagram, I’ll aid you as best I can.’

You recognize the pentagram to be a circle of binding, a magical prison that can only be broken from the outside. You can easily wipe away part of the circle and free this man.

If you wish to free him, turn to 170.

If you have ever visited Ragadorn, you can ask him some simple questions about the city, to allay any suspicions you may have about who he claims to be, by turning to 11.

If you prefer to close the cell door and return to the main corridor, turn to 254.