### 294

Suddenly, you notice the skeletal badges that adorn the cloaks of these men, and a chilling memory floods into your mind. They are dressed identically to the evil priests who accompanied the renegade warlord, Barraka, at the buried temple of Maaken--they are the Acolytes of Vashna.

After the defeat of Barraka, they fled south to escape the Sommlending army. It was a common belief in the Lastlands that the brotherhood had been destroyed and their power extinguished forever, but this encounter proves otherwise. You sense that you are in deadly danger. Should they discover your true identity, they will do their utmost to destroy you.

Their leader repeats his demand, his voice sharp with impatience.

If you wish to answer his question with the reply 'believer', turn to 108.

If you choose to say 'unbeliever', turn to 67.

Text copyright © 1985 Joe Dever.
Illustrations copyright © 1985 Gary Chalk.