13

‘Wait here, Captain,’ you say to Gildas. ‘I must go to the ravine. I will return soon, I promise.’

And with these words you leave the rangers and make your way to the steep gully where Cloud-dancer lay concealed before it was attacked. As you approach the ravine, your Kai tracking skills direct you towards a small metallic tube that lies hidden among the boulders.

Hurriedly you scoop up the tube, flip open its hinged lid, and shake a rolled piece of papyrus onto your palm. On this scrap of material is a hastily written message from Rimoah, telling you that the Claw of Naar must not be allowed to fall into the hands of Autarch Sejanoz. He urges you to find and destroy it.

If this should prove impossible, you must take it to the city of Pensei. There you should make contact with Lord Ghadra, the Dessian envoy, and he will see to its destruction. He will also help you to return home to Sommerlund.

Having memorized its contents, you tear the scrap of papyrus into small pieces and swallow them to ensure that Rimoah’s message will never be discovered by the enemy. Then you return to the mountain pass to rejoin Captain Gildas and his men.

You inform them that Lord Rimoah has been forced to flee in order to save Cloud-dancer and his crew from the attacking horde. On hearing this they bow their heads in disappointment, fearing that they may never again see Rimoah, or their homeland of Siyen. Then you tell them about the message that Rimoah left behind and, despite their sadness, they each vow to help you capture the Claw of Naar.

Suddenly Ranger Yalin shouts a warning: the flying creatures are returning. Hurriedly you take cover among the rocks and watch as they circle above the pass. Your Kai instincts tell you that these beasts cannot survive for long beyond the mountain borders of the Doomlands, and soon your suspicions are confirmed when you see them returning north to Naaros. When the last of the creatures has disappeared, you beckon Gildas and his men to follow you down onto the mountain trail. Here you discover the bodies of two Imperial Guards who were caught by the rockslide ambush and crushed to death.

If you wish to search their pockets and backpacks, turn to 80.

If you choose to ignore their bodies, you may leave the pass by turning to 291.