by Joe Dever
If you wish to stand and fight the wolf, turn to 120.
If you choose to run into the blazing inferno, turn to 204.
156
Tavig has stopped screaming long before you force the hand to give up its prize and withdraw, gashed and bleeding, into the gloom of the tunnel. Tavig's body lies motionless at your feet. You stoop to close his sightless eyes and lay his sword upon his bloodstained chest, as is the custom in the land of Slovia when a warrior falls in battle.
If you decide to leave the body and continue, turn to 323.
If you wish to search the body before you go, turn to 227.
157
Snatching the seed from your tunic pocket, you hurl it at the plinth as hard as possible. There is a loud crack as the shell shatters, and a splash of bright flame engulfs the plinth. Soon the hand catches fire; it wriggles and squirms as the flames feed on its loathsome flesh and is soon obscured by a pall of acrid black smoke.
If you wish to stand back and wait for the flames to die down, turn to 128.
If you decide to pass around the fire and enter the passage beyond, turn to 284.
158
Gasping for air, you claw your way to the surface and swim for the rocky shore. Heaving yourself from the cold water, you crouch down, breathless and exhausted, beside a line of huge boulders, half-buried in the coal-black sand, and take stock of your belongings. You have lost two items from your Backpack, and all the food has been ruined by the tainted water (erase all Meals and two Backpack Items of your choice from your Action Chart).
No sooner have you managed to control your breathing than you hear the sound of scraping, as if some heavy weight were being dragged across the rocks to your left. A vertical crack appears in the surface of the nearest boulder, and a sickly yellow light washes over you. It is not a boulder — you are staring at a huge eye.
If you wish to draw your weapon and attack the eye, turn to 265.
If you wish to leap to your feet and escape towards the sheer rock base of Kazan-Oud, turn to 41.
159
You walk upon the glittering marble flagstone of Zahda's throne-hall, your footsteps echoing among the circular tiers as you approach the central pit. The chamber is deserted, and only the flickering flames that curl around the pinnacle of black iron shed any light upon the vastness.
‘You dare to challenge the power of Zahda?’ booms a voice in the darkness above, a voice made thunderous in the cavernous expanse of the throne-hall. A blinding white light holds you in its beam, blazing down from the throne with unnatural intensity. ‘You dare to pit yourself against the Lord of Kazan-Oud?’
Desperately you try to escape from the beam, but you cannot move. Your muscles are numb and nerveless, paralysed by Zahda's beam.
‘I know your purpose — your identity was revealed to me in the maze. You are the Kai Lord — the one they call Lone Wolf.’ The voice is now filled with anger and indignation. ‘You have come here to steal that which belongs to me. For such a crime there can be only one penalty — death!’
A pulse of raw energy hurtles down from the throne, speeding towards you like a burning sun. It consumes you in a searing ball of flame, destroying you completely and forever.
Your life and your quest end here.
160
As the last enemy falls dead at your feet, a section of the wall slides back to reveal an ugly, bearded dwarf, wearing a grimy black velvet jerkin. His pig-like eyes twinkle malevolently as he raises a hollow brass tube and points it at your face.
‘Sweet dreams,’ he chortles, and a blast of icy cold vapour shoots from the tip, catching you squarely in the face. You reel back, coughing and choking, as the bitter vapour fills your lungs. By the time you realize that you have inhaled a powerful sleep gas, you are already succumbing to its irresistible power.
Turn to 165.
161
As the few remaining survivors whirl away into the darkness, you sheathe your weapon and kick aside the torn bodies of those who fell to your deadly blows. A stone room awaits you at the bottom of the stairs, featureless and bare except for a weapons' rack hanging on the wall in the far corner. It holds a Spear and a Broadsword, both in remarkably fine condition. The torchlit tunnels offer an exit from this chamber: one descends to the north, the other to the east.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship, turn to 139.
If you wish to enter the north tunnel, turn to 187.
If you wish to enter the east tunnel, turn to 101.
162
Your shot is fast and deadly accurate: the Arrow pierces the warrior's armoured back just above the waist, pitching him forward onto his face. He writhes for a brief moment on the rubbish-strewn floor before surrendering to death.
Swiftly you race along the corridor, leaving the dead guard and the chamber far behind. You pass through an archway that opens out to a landing at the top of a spiral staircase and you descend the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs a tunnel leads off to the west and the east.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship or Divination, turn to 171.
If you wish to go west, turn to 29.
If you wish to go east, turn to 272.
163
You step through the green jadin arch and immediately a blistering wave of heat rises up through your body, burning you with agonizing pain. You have stepped into a portal of annihilation, and the last sound that you hear is the faint mocking laughter of Lord Zahda as he watches you walk to your doom from a platform high above the misty ceiling.
Your life and your quest end here.
164
You regain consciousness with a start, reaching instinctively for your weapon lest danger be waiting to greet you. A dull throbbing fills your head as you sit up to take stock of your surroundings.
You find yourself on top of a mound of rotting vegetation, stacked high in the corner of a shadowy chamber. A harsh reptilian odour fills your nostrils: the unmistakable smell of snakes. As your vision clears, you notice, amid the slime that covers the floor, what appear to be undigested human bones. A rib cage, two skulls, and several vertebrae are illuminated by a shaft of light that descends from a grate in the ceiling. It flickers and, for a second, you catch a glimpse of a skull-like face through the iron bars. Fear wells up inside you as a chilling laugh pierces the silence. But it is not the sound of the cruel, inhuman laughter that freezes your blood, it is the sight of the colossal, wedge-shaped head that is rearing up through the mound on which you sit; it is the head of a gigantic snake.
Illustration IX—The colossal, wedge-shaped head of a gigantic snake rears up before you.
You leap to your feet and run to the far corner of the chamber, your heart pounding loudly in your ears. The snake rises up almost to the ceiling, its forked tongue flickering angrily below a single yellow eye which is set deep in the centre of its green scaly head. Once more the chamber echoes to cruel laughter as the monster shakes off its rotting nest and slithers forward.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control and have reached the Kai rank of Primate, turn to 137.
If you have a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 7.
If you have neither a Bow nor mastery of Animal Control, turn to 301.
165
You awake to such an astounding sight that you feel sure you must be dreaming. Before you lies a titanic, circular hall of glittering marble, rising tier on tier like a gigantic amphitheatre. A vast pit fills the centre, from which arises a pinnacle of black iron, which is licked by sheets of flame that roar up from the depths below. Scores of seated creatures crowd the tiers, every one of them staring at you, their eyes like pinpoints of fire gleaming coldly from the shadows of their hooded robes. You hear the rustle of their mocking laughter, and your skin prickles with eerie premonition. A great gong booms in the distance, and a doleful chant arises from the crowded tiers. An urge to run from this evil place grips you like a fever, but your wrists are manacled securely to a bronze ring fi
xed to the wall above your head.
Illustration X—Scores of seated creatures crowd the tiers, staring at you, their eyes like pinpoints of fire.
‘Let the trial commence!’ commands a mighty voice, filling the hall with clamouring echoes. As one, the robed spectators rise from their seats as a shaft of light pours down upon the pinnacle, illuminating the outline of a man, white-haired and gaunt, seated on a massive throne of solid, gleaming gold. Suspended in the air above his head are two crystals: one as clear as a polished diamond; the other as black as the grave. A crackling arc of energy travels between the two, and its flickering blue light sheds a ghostly shadow on the face of the seated lord.
‘Intruder,’ he says, his voice soft yet chilling, ‘you have come to Kazan-Oud with murder in your heart. Have not the cowards of Elzian promised to reward you for my destruction?’
A drone of dissent surges from the crowded tiers, drowning any answer that you offer in your defence. The lord rises slowly from the throne and turns to his baying minions, his hands outstretched as if to receive the adulation. As their ghastly drone grows louder, your eye is drawn to the clear crystal that hovers above the throne. A golden light now glows at its core. In a flash of understanding you recognize the object of your quest: here is the Lorestone of Herdos.
‘Your verdict, my children?’ cries the wild-eyed man, his voice now harsh and angry.
‘Guilty, Lord Zahda,’ the crowd howls in reply.
‘The sentence?’ retorts their master.
‘The maze!’ they scream. ‘The maze!’
If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 335.
If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 264.
166
On your fifth step, the silence is broken by another crack. The invisible whip bites into the back of your legs, causing your knees to buckle, and you flinch with pain as you stagger forwards.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 0–2, turn to 275.
If it is 3–7, turn to 222.
If it is 8 or more, turn to 311.
167
You sense that a trap guards this portal; should you choose the wrong number, or numbers, before pulling the lever, the consequences could be fatal.
Turn to 329.
168
The water is still pouring from the statue's face, although the pressure has dropped dramatically now that the chamber is nearly full. The entire face has crumbled away under the pressure of the water, leaving a hole the size of a dinner plate. Peering inside, you can see a large nozzle and a lever, both deep within the body, beyond arm's reach.
If you have a Sword or a Spear, turn to 32.
If you do not have either of these weapons, turn to 263.
169
The descending wall is gathering speed at a terrifying pace; there is now very little space left through which to escape.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 0–4, turn to 237.
If it is 5 or more, turn to 326.
170
Suddenly there is a flash of blinding light followed by a tremendous explosion. The creature is torn to pieces, consumed by a fireball of blistering yellow flame. The intense heat sears your face and hair (lose 4 ENDURANCE points) and hurls you backwards through the air. Shocked and stunned, you drag yourself into the fissure that is now illuminated by the remains of the monster that lie scattered and burning all around you.
Turn to 16.
171
Your Kai Mastery reveals that the wall at the bottom of the stairs conceals a secret door. One of the bricks is far smoother than the others, and you sense that it activates the lock which keeps the door closed.
If you wish to press the brick, turn to 14.
If you prefer to follow the tunnel to the west, turn to 29.
If you prefer to take the tunnel to the east, turn to 272.
172
You are washed out of the chamber and deposited on the floor of a corridor at the bottom of a steep ramp. Blinking the water from your eyes, you gaze with trepidation at your surroundings. The walls of the corridor, festooned with what appear to be gigantic cocoons, stretch into the distance as far as you can see. The oval door clicks shut and the click reverberates down the corridor, growing louder and louder. In the gloomy corridor ahead you see that something is moving.
A huge worm-like creature with great black eyes and horny mandibles is slithering towards you, a purple froth bubbling from its mouth as it fastens on your scent.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility, turn to 86.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control and you have reached the Kai rank of Primate, turn to 130.
If you have a Silver Whistle, turn to 347.
If you have neither these skills nor the Special Item, turn to 233.
173
The frenzied squeal of the rats fills your ears as you force your aching legs to propel you across the beach. Beyond an outcrop of pitted stone, a stream cascades down the sheer rock wall, cutting a deep gully across the beach as it flows into the lake. Spanning this gully is a natural bridge of stone. Its centre is very thin and narrow, and as you near the bridge, you fear it is too thin to support your weight.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination, turn to 89.
If you wish to cross the narrow stone bridge, turn to 243.
If you decide to try to swim across the gully, turn to 108.
174
Blue fire leaps from Zahda's staff, but you intercept and deflect it upon the blade of the sun-sword. The murderous bolt screams into the dark hall, destroying a whole tier of seats with a thunderous concussion.
‘You will die … die … die!’ shrieks Zahda like a man possessed. He whirls his staff twice about his head before lunging at your face with its clawed tip. Lord Zahda is immune to Mindblast and Psi-surge.
Lord Zahda (with power-staff): COMBAT SKILL 33 ENDURANCE 45
If you win the combat, turn to 149.
175
A pall of thick smoke spreads towards you from the body of the creature you have already killed, and your enemies use it to mask their advance. You steel yourself for a shot; but your aim is greatly hindered by the acrid fumes that are making your eyes stream and your throat tighten.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. Unless you have the Magnakai Discipline of Weaponmastery with Bow, or the Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, deduct 3 from the number you have picked.
If your total is now 5 or lower, turn to 19.
If it is 6 or more, turn to 314.
176
Slowly and carefully you advance, your eyes straining to see in the gloom. Ahead you notice that the tunnel takes a sharp left turn, but before you can reach the corner, you are frozen in your tracks by a blood-curdling howl that echoes from the vault behind. Spinning round, you stare aghast at the outline of a gigantic black wolf loping along the passage towards you. It moves at a terrifying pace, its evil eyes glowing scarlet and its great fanged jaws wide open in readiness to bite.
If you wish to stand and fight this ravening wolf, turn to 8.
If you decide to turn the corner and run as fast as you can, turn to 140.
177
The relief is instantaneous. Quickly you move from one stone to the next until you arrive at the shadowy opening in the wall. Echoing in the darkness, you hear the rustle and slither of unseen things. Suddenly something round and black breaks through the surface of the lake, splitting the night with its hideous cry. It hovers for a few seconds above the water before hurtling towards you at an unnerving speed.
If you wish to take cover inside the fissure, turn to 16.
If you wish to draw a weapon and prepare for combat, turn to 342.
If you have a Bow and wish to u
se it, turn to 225.
178
Blindly, the young serpents writhe around your feet, their fanged jaws snapping wildly at your unarmoured legs. Combat is unavoidable and you must fight them as one enemy.
If you possess a Fireseed and wish to use it, turn to 191.
Hactaraton Brood: COMBAT SKILL 15 ENDURANCE 28
Unless you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing, double all ENDURANCE point losses you sustain in the combat due to the venomous bite of these creatures.
If you win the combat, turn to 346.
179
Your Discipline blocks the psychic assault and eases pain in your head, but the hand senses your resistance and tries a new form of attack. It curls its fingers, forming a grotesque fist, and pounds the plinth repeatedly with slow, heavy blows. Waves of psychic shock buffet your Psi-screen, forcing you to draw on all your strength just to keep the shield from collapsing.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge and have also reached the Kai rank of Primate, turn to 134.
If you do not have the power of Psi-surge, or if you have not yet reached the rank of Primate, turn to 297.
