Beyond the Nightmare Gate

by Ian Page

  Illustration X—The Ethetron's tail is like a lizard's, its sails like bats' wings.

  ‘It is the raw stuff of the Daziarn, unformed power for the craft,’ explains Crabkey. ‘Without it, the craft would fall from the sky. To steer,’ he continues, ‘you must operate this lever — pull to climb, push to dive, left and right as normal. To draw more power from the glass dome you must press this metal bar at your feet; to slow down, release it. If you apply no pressure, the craft will remain where it is; if you push the lever to the left or right without power, the craft will spin on its axis. Beware, these controls are very sensitive. You need apply very little pressure to make the craft change its course.’

  When Crabkey is satisfied that you understand the controls, he introduces you to another Academician, Slypate, who hands you a shining sphere of red and yellow metal. ‘This is a Gyronome. There is no north, east, west, or south in the plane of the Daziarn, nor is there time as you perceive it,’ says Slypate. ‘The only way of finding the Singing City is with the aid of this device. When you draw it out, it will emit a sound if you are heading for the Singing City. The louder the note, the surer your course. To return to the Crystal Tower, the Gyronome must be absolutely silent. It is very accurate: I invented it myself,’ he says with pride. You take the Special Item and place it in your pocket. (Remember to mark the Gyronome on your Action Chart.)

  Soon you are ready to leave. The Academicians offer you the choice of the following items to aid you in your quest. (Remember that you may carry only two Weapons and a maximum of eight items in your Backpack.)

  Short Sword (carried in a sheath worn at your belt)

  Length of strong Rope (Backpack Item)

  Potion of Healing (restores 4 ENDURANCE points when swallowed; carried in Backpack)

  Backpack

  Spear (carried in the hand)

  As you climb into the Ethetron, the massive double windows of the laboratory are drawn open. The restraining ropes are untied and the glass dome of the flying machine glows with a ghostly light. You coax the Ethetron forwards and you glide gently through the open windows and out of the Crystal Tower. You look out across the bleak, featureless expanse of the Neverness with its strange, sunless sky and vast plain of unending cloud. You press lightly on the foot bar and the machine gathers speed. You take out the Gyronome. It is silent at first; then as your machine speeds away from the Crystal Tower it begins to emit a tone. You move the instrument around in the air and find, to your surprise, that its tone becomes louder when you point it towards your feet.

  If you wish to fly at a lower altitude, turn to 135.

  If you have the Magical Power of Prophecy and wish to use it to guide you, turn to 147.

  If you have the Magical Power of Psychomancy and wish to use it on the Gyronome, turn to 152.

  117

  There is a lull in the fighting and the Jahksa steps back. Poised to place the killing blow, you look on in frustration as the dark twin swiftly fades, his body becoming ever more transparent.

  Turn to 273.

  118

  You step on the flagstone: nothing happens. You are now standing before the wooden door. You try the handle and find that the door is locked.13

  If you wish to blast the door with your Wizard's Staff, turn to 261.

  If you have a prepared Vial of Ezeran Acid, turn to 312.

  If you have the Magical Power of Alchemy and possess some Ezeran Salts, Sulphur, Saltpetre, and a Pestle and Mortar, turn to 319.

  If you have the Magical Power of Sorcery and wish to use it to open the door, turn to 173.

  [13] If you have already opened this door, you do not need to do it again. If you have opened the door but chosen not to step through it, you can now choose to do so (turn to 125), or to walk back to the large stairway (turn to 239). If you have both opened and ventured inside the door, you must turn to 239.

  119

  Both you and Tanith make your way to another of the strange gaps in the cloud plain only to discover that the many holes in the plain are alike, differing only in size.

  If you wish to enter one of these black holes, turn to 269.

  If you wish to continue towards the Crystal Tower, turn to 100.

  120

  At the cost of 2 WILLPOWER points, you hurl a bolt of magical flame at the guard that illuminates the night. With a scream of pain, the guard falls dead. Without hesitation, you make a dash for the palace entrance as distant shouts reveal that the alarm is being raised.

  Turn to 222.

  121

  You wander the city until it grows dark and then make your way back to the palace. Hiding in the shadows, you observe the palace guard.

  If you wish to attack the guard at long range with your Wizard's Staff, turn to 120.

  If you have a Mind Gem and wish to use it, turn to 102.

  If you have the Magical Power of Enchantment and wish to use it, turn to 111.

  Otherwise, you will have to try to sneak up behind the guard. Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If the number you have picked is 0–5, turn to 139.

  If the number you have picked is 6–9, turn to 145.

  122

  You head across the cloud plain towards the hunched figure. The man turns and looks at you, apparently unsurprised by your sudden appearance. He is dressed in grey, tattered rags and, with a start, you see that the flesh of his hands and face is almost transparent, revealing the veins, bones, and tissue that lie beneath his skin.

  Illustration XI—The hunched figure is dressed in grey rags and the flesh of his hands and face is almost transparent.

  ‘No peace. No peace,’ he mutters to himself. ‘So many interruptions … the passage of strangers, asking directions and breaking the silence.’ He gazes at you with a sad but steady stare. ‘I am Drear, wanderer between worlds,’ he says, as if reciting a litany. ‘Sailor upon pointless seas, traveller of timeless lands, born of a world grown old and tired. You are in the Neverness, my children, the unformed and unclaimed void of the Daziarn, where no one yet resides.’

  ‘What of yonder building?’ you ask.

  ‘The Crystal Tower, home of the Academicians, scientists and scholars from another plane. They are mad, my friend. Do not waste your time with them. Instead, follow me and find peace in the calm of wandering; shed all purpose and responsibility. Come, follow! I seek the salvation of silence, the tranquillity of endlessness.’

  He beckons insistently and, with a glazed expression, Tanith steps forward. Persuasive, inviting, and increasingly irresistible, Drear's hypnotic voice pulls at your mind.

  If you wish to follow Drear, turn to 81.

  If you wish to turn away, turn to 43.

  123

  With a flurry of savage blows you engage the Jahksa.

  Jahksa: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 30

  If you are still alive after three rounds of combat, turn to 117.

  124

  The door disintegrates. With Tanith by your side, you enter a large, circular room. A wide, ornate stairway ascends at the far side of the room. The only other visible exit is a door to your left. On the walls are hung many strange paintings and the flagstones of this gloomy hall bear many strange designs; the one on which you are standing bears an inscription.

  If you wish to look at the paintings, turn to 7.

  If you wish to examine the floor, turn to 29.

  If you wish to climb the stairway, turn to 40.

  If you wish to enter the door on your left, turn to 53.

  125

  You walk down the stairs into a dimly lit cellar full of rusty armour. You have entered the tower's store room and the weapons of countless adventurers lie corroding at your feet. A tangle of cobwebs brushes against your face as your attention is caught by the glint of new metal. A closer examination reveals a large Bunch of Keys. If you wish to keep the Bunch of Keys, mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item.

  You climb back up the stairs.

  Turn to 239. />
  126

  You call down to Tanith, who nods that she is ready. Your muscles are tired from the exertions of your climb and, panting heavily, you begin to pull on the Rope. Tanith is already overburdened by the added weight of your Backpack and her climb up the tower is made more difficult by the swinging of your Wizard's Staff. Suddenly, she gives a terrible scream and falls away from the tower. Her abrupt departure from the Rope jerks you from the ledge and you plummet to the ground after her. Neither of you survives the fall.

  Your quest has failed and your adventure is over.

  127

  You peer into the gloom of the wooden hut. Two figures are sitting in the centre of the room: a gaunt-faced man in rags and Tanith. Your heart leaps with joy. ‘At last!’ you cry. ‘I've found you!’ Tanith and the gaunt-faced man turn and look at you with grief-stricken faces. They edge back to a corner of the room as you approach.

  ‘Get back!’ Tanith screams. ‘Go away; leave me alone.’

  ‘But … Tanith … ’ you falter, ‘it's me, Grey Star, your friend.’

  ‘You're no friend of mine, evil one!’ she spits. ‘You serve Shasarak now. You told me that yourself in the Crystal Tower.’ She and the man huddle together, cowering in fear. ‘Get out! Get out!’ she screams hysterically, throwing a cup at your head.

  She believes that the Black Wizard, who bears your likeness, is truly you and that you have fallen into the service of evil. No matter how hard you try to explain, she will not understand. You feel sure that her fear is unnatural; for even if she does believe you have turned to evil, you have never before known her to exhibit such fear. She must have been placed under a powerful spell.

  If you wish to speak to the Chaos-master, turn to 199.

  If you possess a Mind Gem and wish to use it, turn to 219.

  If you have the Magical Power of Prophecy and wish to use it, turn to 207.

  If you have the Magical Power of Enchantment and wish to try to rid Tanith of the enchantment which holds her, turn to 213.

  128

  You continue down the long passage, your footsteps ringing on the marble floor. You can feel another's presence nearby but can see no one. A milky glow emanates from the end of the corridor.

  If you wish to enter one of the rooms at the side of the passage, turn to 47.

  If you wish to continue along the corridor, turn to 162.

  If you have the Magical Power of Prophecy and wish to use it, turn to 146.

  129

  Suddenly the Ethetron is torn from the air by a strange, eyeless creature. Its huge, razor-sharp teeth close around the flying machine.

  Your quest and your life end here.

  130

  Skilfully, you manoeuvre the Ethetron and align it with the nearest black hole. Taking a deep breath, your heart beating with anticipation, you plunge into the darkness of the unknown.

  First there is silence, then fear. You fight back a rising wave of panic in the absolute blackness, absolute silence, absolute stillness. You cannot return the way you came.

  If you wish to try to cast a light with your Wizard's Staff, turn to 34.

  If you wish to chant the Shianti prayer of mind discipline to beat back the rising wave of madness that you feel engulfing your reason, turn to 46.

  If you wish to take out the Gyronome, turn to 60.

  131

  You step back and cease fighting. You sense that the Jahksa is trying to wear you out. He smiles a knowing smile that makes your flesh creep.

  ‘Won't fight, eh?’ he says and, with a sudden flick of his staff, he sends an arc of fire pluming towards Tanith. She throws herself to the ground, escaping injury. The Jahksa is doing all he can to delay and divert you from your quest.

  If you possess the Eagle Key of the Crystal Tower, or if you have given it to Tanith to carry, turn to 82.

  If you possess the Wolf Key, or if you have given it to Tanith to carry, turn to 141.

  If you possess the Dragon Key, or if you have given it to Tanith to carry, turn to 35.

  If you do not have any of these Keys, or if you do not wish to use them, you are forced to fight the Jahksa. Turn to 123.

  132

  You examine the inscription once again, certain that it contains the secret of the missing door.

  ‘From south of here, to west, and north,

  Then east and south once more,

  A circle's motion rings the charm

  That finds the Vanishing Door.’

  If you wish to search for a door on the left side of the tower, turn to 56.

  If you wish to search for a door on the right side of the tower, turn to 206.

  If you decide to examine the crystal wall immediately below the metal plate that bears the inscription, turn to 223.

  If you have the Magical Power of Prophecy and wish to use it, turn to 347.

  If you have the Magical Power of Psychomancy and wish to use it, turn to 70.

  133

  A final blow with your Staff and the creature falls dead at your feet. But there are many more of them swooping around your head and dragging at the Ethetron.

  Tanith stands by your side. If you have a weapon, you may give it to Tanith to help her defend herself. If you do, you may add 2 to your COMBAT SKILL for the remainder of your combats against the Chaos-birds.

  If you have the Magical Power of Elementalism and wish to use it, turn to 78.

  If not, turn to 188.

  134

  ‘I ask no favour and will pay no price,’ you tell the Chaos-master.

  ‘So be it. But you will never leave this realm until you pay the price.’

  There is silence. Where once there were myriad illusions and visions there is now only a vast sea, which stretches endlessly below; multi-coloured, writhing and rolling, it conceals fearsome half-shapes. And there is no horizon.

  If you have the Magical Power of Prophecy and wish to use it, turn to 345.

  If you do not have this Power, or if you do not wish to use it, turn to 327.

  135

  You push the steering lever forward but, due to your inexperience, you push too hard and suddenly the flying machine lurches into a dive. Your stomach knots with fear as you plummet towards the ground with increasing speed. The shrill tone of the Gyronome becomes a shrieking in your ears.

  If you wish to pull back the steering lever and increase the pressure on the foot bar, drawing more power, turn to 140.

  If you wish to pull back the steering lever and decrease the pressure on the foot bar, using less power, turn to 164.

  If you wish to pull the lever left, turn to 168.

  If you wish to pull the lever right, turn to 189.

  If you wish to continue heading in the direction indicated by the Gyronome, turn to 203.

  136

  The Elessi guard takes the Silver Coin. He returns it with a shrug, says something, and then returns to his post at the entrance to the palace.

  If you have a Copper Coin and wish to show it to the guard, turn to 151.

  If you have a Parchment and wish to show it to the guard, turn to 166.

  If you have a Glass Rod and wish to show it to the guard, turn to 196.

  137

  The eagle is severely injured by the flame of your Wizard's Staff but it remains determined to fight you. Making an abrupt turn in mid-air, the gigantic bird falls upon you in a flurry of clawing talons, flapping wings, and wildly incessant pecking. Desperately, you try to fend off the attack with your Staff.

  Wounded Eagle: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 25

  If you win the combat, turn to 186.

  138

  You use another WILLPOWER point but this time you feel the balance of power shift in your favour. Before your enemy is able to pour extra force into his counterspell you order the wind spirits away. At the abrupt change in the force of the wind the Ethetron lurches violently and, as you struggle with the controls, the Jahksa staggers backwards. Tanith seizes her chance and, rushing furiously, she runs headlong i
nto the Jahksa and heaves him over the rails. You both give a triumphant shout of joy and you quickly bring the Ethetron under control.

  As you draw closer to the Moaning Mountain you soon locate the cavern in its side and, with some skilful manoeuvring, you line up the ship with the yawning cavern mouth.

  Illustration XII—You soon locate the cavern in the side of the Moaning Mountain.

  Turn to 300.

  139

  Your pounding heart beats so loud that you fear the Elessi will hear it. He does not and, with capable ease, you strike the guard a blow to the base of his skull that renders him unconscious. You chance a cautious glance into the darkness before running into the palace.

  Turn to 230.

  140

  Though dangerously close to the ground, the craft glides smoothly out of its dive as you pull back on the lever. Your heart is pounding and, still shaken, you ease back the foot bar once the Ethetron is level once again. You are perhaps less than twenty feet above the ground and you notice that the Gyronome is piping even more loudly now that you are flying so low.

  In the distance looms the shadow of the Crystal Tower surrounded by black holes — the result of the Academicians' mining of the raw material of the Neverness. How are you to reach the Realm of the Singing City? Should you fly into the ground as the Gyronome suggests, or through one of the black holes of the cloud plain?