Page 66

"We don't have enough for the steel armor," you say, "but the leather armor would be helpful, too. We'll take that."

So the blademaker takes the three of you into the back of the shop and fits you each for leather armor. You pay him and are just about to leave, when something else catches your eye.

"Take a look at this map!" you say to Merlyn and Deke. The map is spread below a glass countertop. It shows a continent with rivers, mountains, roads, cities and towns, all bordered by a massive ocean to the east...you are fascinated. "Is this your world?" you ask them.

If the blademaker had any lingering suspicions that you were sane, they are now gone. But Merlyn and Deke come over and have a look.

Merlyn is unimpressed. "Yes, that's the region of Kalyre." She points to the letters at the top. "But that map's nothing special. And we sure don't need anything like it. I had everything on there learned by the time I was fifteen years old. It's all in my head."

"Yeah, how old are you now?" you ask a bit snidely, under your breath.

Merlyn blushes a little. "Well...sixteen," she admits.

Deke is studying the map as well, but he doesn't look impressed, either. "All these lines, all these colors. What good do they do? You learn the land by walking over it � didn�t I show you that on the way here? I've never seen anything like this in my life, and never missed it. I mean, even if this really is what our world looks like, what does it matter to us? It's so big, and we are so small."

You're disappointed that your friends don't like the map. "Well," you say to Merlyn, "I don't know what your world looks like." And to Deke, "And I suspect I'm going to have to travel quite a lot of it without having time to learn it beforehand. I'd like to buy a map."

Your companions both shrug. "Do we have any shrin left?" Merlyn asks. "If we do, go ahead." Deke nods his agreement.

The blademaker, who has overheard your conversation, says, "I have several copies of that map. It's a very good one. I'll sell one to you for 15 shrin."

You now have leather armor. You lose 75 shrin.
If you'd like to buy a map, turn to page 72.
If you don't have enough shrin or don't want a map, turn to page 65.