### 343

You spin around and reach instinctively to your Weapon, but you stay your hand when you realize that you have collided accidentally with a young Eldenoran herald. The bumbling messenger stutters an apology. Then he drops down onto his hands and knees and attempts to retrieve the maps and scrolls that he was carrying, which are now scattered across the floor. As he gathers up his papers, you notice that he has a leather band attached to his right wrist.

‘Oh dear,’ he whines, ‘I’ll be late, and Captain Dvedka hates to be kept waiting. He’ll throw me in the d-d-dungeons. He promised he w-would the last time I was l-late.’

You help the herald gather his documents and, by the use of your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, you remove his wristband and pocket one of his maps without his knowledge. (Record the Skull-Tor Wristband and Battle-map on your Action Chart as Special Items. You need not discard any other items in their favour if you already possess the maximum number permissible.)

The hapless young herald thanks you for your assistance and then he hurries away towards the drawbridge. You watch him approach the guards and, after a brief altercation, you see one of them reach to a bell that is fixed to the parapet of the drawbridge. He rings it once and, within a matter of seconds, a troop of six guardsmen comes running out of a doorway that stands across from the entrance to the bridge. You hear the herald protesting his innocence as they escort him away to the guardroom. As soon as they have disappeared from view, you fix the leather band to your wrist and take the map from your pocket. Then you approach the drawbridge with a purposeful stride, and raise your right hand to show your Wristband as you come to within a few feet of the armoured guards.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 1 to the number you have picked.

If your total score is 7 or lower, turn to 14.

If it is 8 or higher, turn to 212.