34
You suddenly realize that you possess an Effigy of this hideous creature. Taking the Effigy from your pocket, you hold it before you. It begins to glow with a strange iridescence that holds the creature mesmerized. Vonotar has lost control of the creature and it is yours to command. The wizard, realizing he has lost, retreats from the moat. Loi-Kymar arrives at your side. He is breathless and is trying to say something to you.
‘Use it, Lone Wolf … send it … against Vonotar!’
You will the monster to capture and hold Vonotar and it instantly obeys your command. The traitor shrieks with terror and faints as the slimy tentacles close around him. You notice Loi-Kymar hurl a handful of powdered herbs into the moat. Within seconds, a mass of vines and creepers coil upwards, forming a bridge across the moat to the Brumalmarc Throne. Once safely across, you will the creature to release Vonotar and return to the moat. Obediently it slithers into the darkness and the crystal blocks slowly rise.
‘Tie him, Lone Wolf,’ shouts Loi-Kymar, as he searches for his Guildstaff. ‘And be sure to strip him of his rings and amulets—he is a master of trickery. We would not want him to miss his special homecoming to Sommerlund.’
You follow Loi-Kymar’s instructions and make sure that Vonotar is securely tied.
‘Ah! Here she is!’ the old magician eventually cries triumphantly, discovering his Guildstaff amongst the tangle of vines at the base of the throne. He is anxious to leave so you thank him for his help and pass him your map of Kalte, pointing out the position of the ship Cardonal.
‘I’ll not be needing that,’ he replies. ‘Maps are invariably wrong; I prefer to rely on my own sense of direction.’
Loi-Kymar raises his Guildstaff and a dazzling beam of light flows from its tip. He makes three wide sweeps of the air and the Hall of the Brumalmarc is transformed into an umbrella of colour.