209

Calling upon your Grand Mastery, you order the vicious war-dogs to cease their attack immediately. Instantly they obey your psychic command; they scrabble to a halt and turn their eyes to the floor, their once-chilling howls now little more than a weak chorus of kitten-like whimpers.

Having cowed them, you now use your power to redirect their latent aggression against their masters and, suddenly, they are transformed once more into a host of gnashing, snarling beasts. Horror fills the eyes of the Vazhag guards as their dogs turn around and come bounding towards them, hungry for the kill.

In the ensuing chaos, you skirt around the hall and escape through the entrance unchallenged. For a moment you are blinded by the early morning sunlight which illuminates the surrounding hills, but, as you escape along the trail which leads away from the caverns, your vision clears and you see a vast expanse of forest away to the east. This sea of sickly grey-green trees radiates an unmistakable aura of evil that immediately identifies it as the Forest of Ruel.

Your escape is not pursued and, after a few minutes, you stop among a cluster of boulders in order to catch your breath. The surrounding land appears deserted, the only unusual feature being the track which wends its way eastward through the hills towards a gap at the edge of the unwelcoming forest. You consult your map and conclude that this is the Skardos trail, the secret route used by the Ceners which leads all the way to Mogaruith itself. You resolve to follow the trail, but first (unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery) you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

To continue, turn to 230.