DOMAIN

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you've ticked any boxes in this adventure, you tick the corresponding boxes in The Serpent King's Domain. A reference list detailing which tickbox in this adventure corresponds to which box in The Serpent King's Domain will be made available online. You will also have to transfer any codewords you have gained in this adventure to the more complete codeword list in The Serpent King's Domain. There are some codewords I can't seem to acquire, no matter what I do. Why's that? A small number of codewords, and items, that are mentioned in this adventure can only be gained in The Serpent King's Domain. As these codewords are mentioned in this adventure, however, they are included on the codeword list for completeness. There's no paragraph 100 in this adventure. Is that intentional? Yes it is. Another Fabled Lands adventure has specified paragraph 100 as a fixed 'arrival point' into The Serpent King's Domain – though not into the city of Dunpala. For clarity, it has been omitted here. The paragraph numbers for this adventure are a little strange. They range from 1 to 127 – and then leap up to 475. Why? Paragraph 475 is another 'arrival point' from another Fabled Lands adventure. It has been included here so that players may use this route to reach Dunpala from another book.
1 The white, shining serpent comes in your dreams. It slithers through the dark sky as if on land and then, noticing you, descends. It draws nearer and nearer, and it is immense. You stand on a clifftop, looking out across a turbulent sea. Far away, thunder cracks, and a bolt of lightning strikes the surface of the water. The serpent reaches the clifftop now, and the light touch of its scales does not disturb a single pebble. It coils into a tight circle, with you at its centre, and its body all around you is taller than a house. And yet, up close, you see a faint translucence to it, as if it is not wholly here. You hold out one hand, to test its tangibility – and then you see that same translucence in your own skin. If the serpent is not truly here, neither are you. It raises its triangular head to regard you, and its eyes are great, pale blue stones. Then it murmurs one word: 'Namagal.' The dream ends; a painful near-consciousness returns. The clear sky above you is too bright. From time to time the sun threads its way across your field of vision, remorselessly beating down on you. Blackness comes intermittently – whether because of night, or because you slip from wakefulness, you can't be sure. It doesn't matter. The dreams, and the serpent that lingers within them, stay far away from you, now. And then, abruptly, you wake to find that the hellish sky is gone. You are in a house, lying on a bed. A woman is nearby, working. You try to speak to her, but a choking cough is all you can manage. She passes you a glass of water, and says, 'My name is Cellacqtella. You may stay here until you are well again, but no longer.' A month passes before you can stand unaided. One day you ask Cellacqtella where you are. She tells you, 'I found you alone in an open boat, waiting for death. You are in the Feathered Lands, near the city of Dunpala. This is my home.' The Feathered Lands! You have no notion of how you have come to this place. You question Cellacqtella further, and realise that you cannot remember the last year of your life. 'You were suffering from the waking rot,' she tells you. 'A loss of memory is common in those few who survive the disease.' At last, you are well enough to leave. Cellacqtella, your taciturn healer, walks with you along the edge of Lake Firewater for three hours, until you can see the city of Dunpala in the distance. 'We part ways here,' she tells you. 'Take these.' With that, she gives you a small pouch containing 20 Shards, and a well-balanced fishing spear (COMBAT +1). Note them on your Adventure Sheet. You start to thank her for all that she's done, but she says, 'Thank me by never returning to my home. In this land, it is dangerous to help a foreigner. Goodbye.' You watch her for a time as she walks back the way you have come. Then you turn away, and enter Dunpala. Get the codeword Gloom, and turn to 42. 2 You grip the bamboo branch, and hold it out before you. The shining serpent watches you a few seconds, impassive – and then it darts forward, its maw dropping open. It swallows you whole; the twilit world around you becomes white light, pinpricked with tiny black stars. Make a MAGIC roll and a THIEVERY roll, both at Difficulty 16. Remember that you do not currently possess any of your usual equipment which might help with these rolls. If you succeed in both rolls, you weather this spiritual assault with little ill effect. If you fail one roll, you must subtract one point from one of your abilities; you decide which. If you fail both rolls, you must also lose a Rank – roll one die and subtract this amount from your maximum Stamina, and remember that this will also reduce your Defence by one point. Turn to 30. 3 Zlaloc is overjoyed to see you; he takes you by the shoulders and thanks you for your help. He presents you with a bag containing 350 Shards, and a macuahuitl (COMBAT +3), a long wooden sword inlaid with slivers of obsidian which form a razor-sharp edge. On a whim, he also presents you with a prop from one of the theatre's performances, a jaguar mask. Note down the money and the items on your Adventure Sheet if you choose to keep them. Then he leads you through to the auditorium, where you see that Birdsong at Dawn has already begun directing rehearsals once more. She glances back and, seeing you, forces a thin smile. Turn to 119. 4 The Call of Eagles tavern is a narrow, four-floor building with fine mosquito netting covering all of its windows. Situated near the harbour, it is a popular spot for sailors working the route between Dunpala and Smogmaw. You may stay here if you wish, at a cost of 2 Shards per day. Each day that you rest here allows you to recover 1 point of Stamina, up to your maximum. The smiling woman who runs the establishment tells you that the tavern's nominal owner is in fact named Call of Eagles. In truth, he is more a craftsman than an innkeeper. He welcomes visitors to his workshop behind the building. Visit the workshop of Call of Eagles turn to 95 Leave the tavern turn to 83
Page 1 and 2: THE SERPENT KING'S DOMAIN KICKSTART
Page 3 and 4: Adventuring in the Fabled Lands Fab
Page 5: power and prestige. Make friends an
Page 9 and 10: esult once. When you use the blessi
Page 11 and 12: Zlaloc's words at the Theatre of th
Page 13 and 14: Visit the shrine to Tyrnai turn to
Page 15 and 16: eager to gulp you down as a light s
Page 17 and 18: wish to regain this part of your so
Page 19 and 20: 71 You can leave possessions and mo
Page 21 and 22: searching for it. Whispering Wind i
Page 23 and 24: 98 If you have the codeword Genius,
Page 25 and 26: 112 Qlelec is in fine fettle today,
Page 27 and 28: If you possess a Xibalban lantern a
Page 31: The most ambitious gamebook series

DOMAIN

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