Choose Your Own Adventure 3 – Ghost Rage, preview #1

A letter from the First Magus to Rhazion, Preceptor of the Magisterium’s chapterhouse in the Imperial capital.

You write to ask me what should be done about Countess Caina Amalas? If you have to ask such a question, then you are a fool, and a blind fool besides. And I wonder how such a fool ever rose to the position of master magus, let alone to the rank of Preceptor.

But, you are new to your rank, after all, and so allowances must be made for your inexperience. So I will state this plainly:

Caina Amalas is an enemy of the Magisterium, and the woman must be killed in short order, by whatever means necessary.

Why? I shall also state that plainly. The Countess is under thirty years of age, yet she was once one the Ghost nightfighters, our beloved Emperor Alexius’s spies and assassins. And in that time, she killed at least five master magi. Surely you are not so stupid as to miss the threat? One woman, without the slightest spark of sorcerous talent or the smallest bit of skill in the arcane sciences, killed five master magi in direct confrontations! Now she is the Ghost circlemaster of the Imperial capital, and nothing happens in Malarae that does not come to the ears of her spies…and she passes those whispers on to the damned fool sitting upon the Imperial throne.

I shall also put this plainly, Rhazion: if not for Caina Amalas, the Emperor would be dead, and the magi would rule the Empire of Nighmar. And we could lift the laws against necromancy, reestablish slavery throughout the Empire (as, indeed, the natural order intended), and lead the Empire to a new golden age, a golden age founded upon the pillars of reason and arcane science.

But we do not rule the Empire, and the Emperor still sits upon his throne…and all because of that woman’s damnable cunning!

I saw her once, when last I visited Malarae. One would hardly think she was once a Ghost nightfighter by looking at her; indeed, I would almost be tempted to take her as a concubine, willing or not. But do not underestimate her! The Countess has a gift for exploiting flaws in the thinking of her enemies. How else could she have defeated five master magi?

So I say again, Rhazion: Countess Caina Amalas is an impediment to our plans, and she must be removed, quickly.

Kill her, by whatever means necessary, and you will receive the Thanks of the Magisterium, and perhaps even ascension to the rank of high magus.

Fail, and suffer the consequences of my displeasure.