EDGE: I, Hero Quests: Demon Sea Read online

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  How to be a hero

  This book is not like others you may have read. You are the hero of this adventure. It is up to you to make decisions that will affect how the adventure unfolds.

  Each section of this book is numbered. At the end of most sections, you will have to make a choice. The choice you make will take you to a different section of the book.

  Some of your choices will help you to complete the adventure successfully. But choose carefully, some of your decisions could be fatal!

  If you fail, then start the adventure again and learn from your mistake.

  If you choose correctly you will succeed in your mission.

  Don’t be a zero, be a hero!

  The quest so far…

  You are a skilled warrior, living in a world of enchantment and danger. Humans live alongside trolls, elves and dwarves, while other mysterious creatures walk in the shadows.

  The Queen of Alba has asked for your help against her deadliest foes — the Red Queen and her husband, Mortha, the necromancer.

  Many years ago, Solmor, the world’s greatest Spellcaster, created a crown of gold set with four great rubies. The Ruby of Power gave its owner fighting skills. The Ruby of Seeing, the gift of telepathy and reading minds. The Ruby of Magic, powers of enchantment. The Ruby of Death, mastery over the world of the dead.

  But rulers across the world wanted the power of the Crown of Rubies for themselves. It became a force for evil and was renamed the Blood Crown.

  Just before his death, Solmor destroyed the crown and had the rubies hidden across the globe, so no one could find them.

  But the Red Queen and her necromancer husband are hunting for them. They already possess the Ruby of Death. If they succeed in finding the others, your world will be plunged into a new dark age.

  By your daring, you have recovered the Ruby of Power and the Ruby of Seeing. Your companion, Olderon, was not so lucky. He was killed by servants of the Red Queen.

  You are now searching for the Ruby of Magic. To recover it, you must travel to the Sea of Oblivion and find the Old Man of the Sea, who is the guardian of the ruby.

  Go to 1.

  1

  You have spent many hours flying on your gryphon, Hergal, but now you are approaching the port of Yushan. Beyond the port lies the vast Sea of Oblivion, home to many strange creatures and the haunt of deadly pirates.

  You have used the Ruby of Seeing to make your way here, but when you try to ask it where to find the Old Man of the Sea, it shows only mist and shadows. It is getting dark and you have to decide whether you will continue flying, or land in the port. There you might find someone who knows of his whereabouts, or you might run into the Red Queen’s servants.

  If you wish to continue flying, go to 18.

  If you wish to land, go to 36.

  2

  You tell your story to the Old Man of the Sea.

  He nods. “So you want me to simply give you the Ruby of Magic?”

  “It is not for me. My quest is to stop the Red Queen, and to save the world…”

  “Your world, not mine,” replies the Old Man.

  “If the Red Queen finds the rubies, she will be ruler of land, sky and sea.”

  The Old Man of the Sea considers your words. “Very well.” He gestures to Narwul, who goes to a great wooden chest next to the throne. He opens it. It is full of treasure, and lying among the jewels and coins is the Ruby of Magic. The Old Man of the Sea takes it out. “But are you worthy of such power?” he asks. “You have already lost the other two rubies to me. Can you be trusted with this quest?”

  If you wish to persuade the Old Man to give you the ruby, go to 11.

  If you decide to try to take it by force, go to 28.

  3

  You leave the inn and head down towards the harbour.

  A heavy sea mist hangs in the air. You hear the sounds of creaking ropes and shouts as sailors load up the ships with cargo. As you wander through the harbour, a man steps out from behind a stack of crates. He holds a flaming torch. “Can I help you?” he asks.

  “I seek passage on a ship,” you reply.

  “Oh, we can provide that, can’t we lads?”

  From out of the mist, a dozen armed men appear. Before you can react, you are clubbed to the ground and pass out.

  Go to 12.

  4

  You hold up your hands. “I meant no…”

  But before you can finish your sentence there is a flash of steel and you drop to the ground. The man has run you through! You clutch at your stomach as the man snatches the leather pouch holding the two rubies from around your neck.

  Without the Ruby of Power, you are unable to defend yourself as the jeering crowd surrounds you. As your energy seeps away, fists hammer down on you. There is nothing you can do against so many people.

  Your quest has failed — the Red Queen is victorious! Put a stop to her plans next time. Get back to 1.

  5

  You open your eyes and for a moment think you must be dead! You are lying on a bed in a room, which has a huge glass wall looking out onto the depths of the sea. You realise that you are in some sort of glass building on the sea floor. You get out of the bed and stand at the window and watch fish and merpeople swimming.

  At that moment, the door opens and a creature steps inside.

  You are amazed at his appearance. He is over three metres tall and has a pair of sharp tusks growing out of his cheeks. A silver fin runs down the length of his back. He is armed with a trident and has your leather pouch containing the two rubies tied to his belt.

  “My name is Narwul. You will come with me,” he growls. “My master wishes to meet you.”

  If you wish to do as he says, go to 26.

  If you wish to try to get the rubies back, go to 32.

  6

  In the blink of an eye, you draw your sword. You kick a ghoul dwarf out of your path, and confront the ghoul captain. He sneers at you, just before you run him through with your blade.

  The other ghouls stop where they are. Something is wrong. The ghoul captain is still standing in front of you, and now he’s smiling. The sound of the undead crew laughing fills the air.

  “You’ll have to do a lot better than that!” he rasps. The captain pulls your sword out of his chest and offers it to you.

  “Do you want another try?”

  You take back your sword.

  “All right you scurvy-ridden lot. Shut up!” he shouts at the cackling crew. They fall silent.

  “That’s enough playing around,” the ghoul captain says. “Give me the rubies.”

  If you want to do as the ghoul captain says, go to 39.

  If you wish to continue to fight, go to 17.

  7

  You spin Hergal around, but the gryphon cannot outfly the zombie birds. They engulf you and rip at your flesh.

  Hergal roars out in pain as the birds continue their attack. You slash at your enemies with your sword, but it is hopeless, there are too many of them! Their rotting bodies swarm all over you. Mercifully you pass into blackness.

  You’ve become bird feed! To begin your quest again, go back to 1.

  8

  You use the Ruby of Power to help you slowly break free of the Old Man of the Sea’s grip. But before you can escape with the rubies, the dome above you breaks open and the sea thunders in. The cold water engulfs you and the Old Man of the Sea.

  The rubies are ripped from your hand by the force of the torrent, and you soon realise that you are doomed.

  Water pours into your mouth and fills your lungs. The Sea of Oblivion has claimed another victim.

  You have failed at the last hurdle! Don’t let the Red
Queen win. Get back to 1.

  9

  Carefully, you creep off the ship. Luckily the pirates are too busy getting ready to set sail to notice you leaving. You head back to the square.

  Calling on the power of the Ruby of Seeing, you see Hergal lying outside the port, sleeping. You give a whistle and the gryphon wakes. Minutes later she lands in the square and you are soon flying on Hergal’s back, heading across the moonlit sea.

  As the sun rises higher in the east, you hear a great roaring noise ahead of you. The wind gains strength and buffets you, and Hergal struggles to stay on course. Sea spray whips across your face and you are forced to shield your eyes as you attempt to see where the wind is coming from. You know that something is not right!

  Go to 44.

  10

  You head through the dark streets of Yushan, following the directions to the inn. There is hardly a soul around, and a grey mist is drifting in from the sea. You turn a corner and see a beggar sheltering in a doorway. As you approach he holds out his hand, “Spare a coin for a poor man?”

  The man clearly needs help, so you reach into your purse. The Ruby of Seeing causes an image to flash into your mind, showing the beggar for what he really is — a were-rat! You ready yourself for a fight.

  The beggar transforms into its true form of a giant rat and leaps at you. It has long, black claws and gnarly pointed teeth. You know that were-beasts can only be defeated by removing their head.

  If you want to attack it with your sword, go to 25.

  If you want to shoot using your bow and arrows, go to 29.

  11

  “I have managed to find two rubies and defeated many of the Red Queen’s followers,” you say.

  “Hmmm,” murmurs the Old Man. “But I now have all three rubies.” A greedy, calculating look flashes across the Old Man’s face. You wonder if the Old Man of the Sea wishes to take the rubies for himself.

  He continues. “In order to prove yourself worthy of the Rubies, I will set you a trial. That way I will know that you are the person to challenge the Red Queen.”

  You wish you had the Ruby of Seeing to tell you what the Old Man is planning. You do not really trust him, but you need the rubies back!

  If you agree to the trial, go to 24.

  If you don’t want to take the Old Man’s trial, go to 41.

  12

  Some time later, you wake up. It is dark. Although you are still dazed, you realise that you are inside a wooden barrel.

  You thump at the sides and the lid, but cannot break free. Holes have been drilled into the sides, and the lid has been nailed down! You feel for the pouch containing the rubies, but it has been taken. You hear voices and you shout out as you feel the barrel being lifted up and thrown into the air.

  Then there is a tremendous splash — you have been thrown into the sea! You are helpless as water pours in through the holes in the barrel and slowly sinks, sending you to oblivion.

  To begin your quest again, go to 1.

  13

  You place your hand on the leather pouch containing the rubies.

  “What is my destiny?” you ask.

  Immediately an image forms in your mind. You see hundreds of waves crashing against a shoreline. Olderon, your dead companion, stands on the beach and says, “Remember this!” Then the vision is replaced by an image of you diving down into the depths of the ocean. Olderon’s voice echoes through your mind, “Now go. Seek out what is below.”

  The image disappears and once again you see the wolf sharks circling around you.

  If you wish to follow the advice in the vision from the ruby, go to 21.

  If you don’t want to, go to 37.

  14

  “I am seeking passage across the Sea of Oblivion,” you tell the man. “I am looking for the Old Man of the Sea.”

  The man laughs. “Then you are wasting your time! No such person exists! He is just a legend!” The crowd nod and laugh in agreement. “Why would you seek him?”

  You shake your head. “That is not your business,” you say. “And if he doesn’t exist, then there is no point telling you what my business is with him. Now get out of my way.”

  The man draws his sword. “You should watch that mouth of yours. Maybe you need to learn some manners, eh?”

  If you wish to apologise to the man, in the hope he’ll put away his sword, go to 4.

  If you wish to tell him tell him about your quest for the Blood Crown, go to 40.

  If you’d rather draw your sword and defend yourself, go to 47.

  15

  You wake to find yourself in a cell. Blood stains your clothes and your body is racked with pain. You sit for some time wondering what will happen.

  A small window in the door opens and you make out the face of Narwul. “Hurting, are you?” he growls. “Don’t worry, the pain won’t last for long. We’re going to feed you to the fishes very soon.”

  The window slams shut leaving you to imagine the horrors that await you…

  Your quest has failed. To begin the adventure again, go to 1.

  16

  You leave the innkeeper and head over to a group of sailors sitting by a blazing fire.

  “Greetings, friends,” you begin.

  They stop talking and stare at you. The largest of them stands up. “What makes you think we are your friends?”

  You throw a gold coin on the table. “Well, if we are not friends, perhaps I could buy some information off you.”

  The sailor picks up the coin and bites it to check that it’s real. He smiles. “Speak…”

  “I am searching for a ship to take me across the Sea of Oblivion.”

  The man nods. “I know of a ship that leaves tomorrow. Be at the harbour wall at sunrise. I will see you there.”

  You thank the sailors and decide to turn in for the night.

  Go to 42.

  17

  “You’ll have to kill me, first,” you tell the captain.

  “Happy to oblige,” he replies. “First one to get the rubies gets a barrel of grog!” he shouts.

  The ghoul crew don’t waste a second and charge at you. You strike at the creatures, but whenever you make a hit, they just drop to the floor before rising up and continuing their attack. You are forced backwards as the creatures move in.

  Just as you think it is all over for you, the ship begins to rock violently. The ghouls are thrown across the deck as a massive wave crashes over the pirate ship.

  You look up and see an enormous creature emerging from the depths of the sea. It is an Umibozu, a deadly sea spirit! Its pincer hands grab at the ghoul pirates and thrust them into its huge mouth.

  You have a chance to escape!

  If you want to hide on the ship, go to 30.

  If you want to dive overboard, go to 43.

  18

  You urge Hergal through the blackness of the sky. Below you, the Sea of Oblivion stretches out for thousands of miles. You realise that searching for the Old Man of the Sea is like looking for a needle in a haystack!

  As you head across the sea, you hear a faint roaring noise. You continue on your way but the noise gets louder and louder. You feel the wind and sea spray ripping at your body. Hergal’s wings beat faster as she tries to battle through the raging elements.

  If you wish to turn back to Yushan, go to 36.

  If you wish to carry on, go to 44.

  19

  As the waters of the Sea of Oblivion crash around, you once more call on the power of the Ruby of Magic to help you.

  In the presence of the other two rubies, the power of the Ruby of Magic is immense. There is a flash of brilliant blue-white light as you feel yourself being ripped apart. Stars burst around you in a kaleidoscope of colour.

  Then there is blackness

  Sometime later, you wake up. You move your hand and feel sand beneath your body. You open your eyes and see Hergal standing above you. The gryphon bends her head and looks at you quizzically.

  You get to your feet and pat
Hergal. “I am glad to see you, my friend,” you say.

  Your leather pouch containing all the rubies hangs around your neck. The Ruby of Magic has kept them safe! You open the pouch and take out all three of the precious stones.

  Now where to? you wonder…

  Go to 50.

  20

  You head out of the inn and step into the sea mist that is covering the city. You make your way down to the harbour wall for your meeting.

  As the sun rises across the sea, you hear the sound of approaching footsteps. You grip your sword as the sailor from the inn steps out of the mist. “So you survived your stay at the inn,” he grunts. “Not many do. Follow me.”

  You do as he says and soon find yourself standing by a gangplank to a large sailing ship. The sailor gives a whistle and shortly afterwards a dwarf wearing an eye patch walks down the gangplank towards you.

  The sailor points at you. “This traveller needs passage across the Sea of Oblivion.”

  The dwarf nods. “Come on board. You can meet the captain.” He nods at the sailor, who turns and disappears into the mist.

  If you wish to go on board, go to 46.

  If you think this is a bad idea, go to 34.

  21

  Taking a deep breath, you plunge downwards. The wolf sharks follow you and move in for the kill.

  You kick on down into the depths and your lungs feel close to bursting.

  Just as you are about to pass out, you see a light below. It gets closer and you can make out the figures of several merpeople armed with blowpipes and crossbow harpoons. They shoot at the wolf sharks, who begin to attack the merpeople.

  You don’t see the outcome of the battle. You cannot hold your breath any longer. Your mouth opens and you feel water pour into your lungs before you pass out into blackness.

  Go to 5.

  22

  You take up your bow and begin to shoot at the zombie birds. You hit several of your attackers, but there are too many for you to deal with. They swarm all over you and rip at Hergal’s flesh. The gryphon roars out in agony and plunges down towards the sea. You lose your grip and are thrown into the air.

  Before you hit the sea, you find yourself being sucked into the mouth of the giant waterspout. Mercifully, water fills your lungs and you breathe your last.

  The sea has lived up to its name, and sent you to oblivion! To begin again, go to 1.