### 234

You insert the gleaming key into the keyhole and twist it clockwise. There is a faint click and, as you push, the wall glides inwards then moves away to your right. It reveals a small well-kept chamber, its walls lined with shelves containing hundreds of stoppered jars, each one neatly labelled.

The jars contain all manner of compounds and elements, from worthless dirt to precious gold dust, and many herbs besides. You search along the shelves and take down half a dozen jars whose contents you recognize:

- Laumspur (Enough for 5 doses) Restores 4 ENDURANCE points when swallowed after combat.
- Alether (Enough for 4 doses) Increases COMBAT SKILL by 2 points for duration of one fight only.
- Gallowbrush (Enough for 2 doses) Induces 10 hours' sleep and loss of 2 ENDURANCE points per dose.
- Sabito (Enough for 2 doses) Enables user to breathe underwater.
- Laumwort (Enough for 3 doses) Restores 2 ENDURANCE points if swallowed before or after combat.
- Oede (Enough for 1 dose) Very rare and valuable. Many healing properties. Cures serious diseases.14

If you wish to keep one or more of the above jars, remember to record your choice on your Action Chart. All of these jars are Backpack Items.15

Apart from the secret door by which you entered, you notice that there is a narrow passageway which leads out of this room.

If you wish to leave the room by this passageway, turn to 214.

If you wish to leave by the secret door and retrace your steps all the way back to the west passage, turn to 271.

[14] According to Shadow on the Sand Section 2, one dose of the Oede herb can heal 10 ENDURANCE points of damage.

[15] Since you 'take down half a dozen jars' and there are exactly six types of herbs in the list, it may safely be assumed that one jar contains all of a given herb or potion. (e.g. one jar contains all five doses of Laumspur) If each jar is one Backpack Item, then the Cener have created some extremely concentrated potions which take up very little space.

Text copyright © 1990 Joe Dever.
Illustrations copyright © 1990 Brian Williams.