Castle Death

by Joe Dever

  If you wish to climb onto the body of the dead Oudagorg and pull yourself onto the platform, turn to 294.

  If you wish to climb over the worm-like carcass and continue along the corridor, turn to 46.

  210

  Once more you call on your Kai Mastery to save you from reptilian threat, and once more it proves effective. The snakes turn away and slither to the safety of their nest, repelled by your presence as if the sight of you were as repulsive to them as the sight of them is to you.

  Turn to 346.

  211

  The only way you can cross the gap is by climbing the rock wall. However, the surface is virtually sheer, and any attempt to climb it without proper equipment would be perilous in the extreme.

  If you wish to attempt such a climb, turn to 85.

  If you decide to descend the stairs and continue along the beach, turn to 348.

  212

  As the Beastman crashes to the floor, two more come rushing in from the cell compound. They growl with anger at the sight of their dead comrade-in-arms and launch themselves in a fearsome attack.

  Beastman Gaoler No. 1: COMBAT SKILL 17 ENDURANCE 23

  Beastman Gaoler No. 2: COMBAT SKILL 16 ENDURANCE 21

  If you win the combat, turn to 80.

  213

  There is a click and the panel slides open to reveal the small, dimly lit interior of the sarcophagus. A set of stairs descends to a strong wooden door that is reinforced with strips and studs of iron.

  If you wish to enter the sarcophagus, turn to 37.

  If you decide not to enter, turn to 102.

  214

  The iron door is several inches thick and will demand a tremendous effort to raise it high enough off the floor for you to escape underneath it.

  To raise the door follow the normal combat rules as if you were unarmed (subtract 4 points from your COMBAT SKILL total). If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, you need not deduct any points from your COMBAT SKILL score. Any ENDURANCE points that you lose during this ‘combat’ represent the fatigue you suffer as you strain to lift the heavy door.9

  Tunnel Door: COMBAT SKILL 19 ENDURANCE (RESISTANCE points) 50

  You may cease ‘combat’ at any time and explore the tunnel instead; turn to 277.

  If you reduce the door's RESISTANCE (ENDURANCE) to 0, turn to 114.

  [9] It is unclear, but you may be able to use the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge to aid you in this fight (cf. The Kingdoms of Terror Section 259).

  215

  As you peer at the horrible hand, it suddenly leaps at your face. You scream with terror, instinctively lashing out to deflect its attack. You strike it hard and send it spinning towards the green pillars and the passage beyond. Just as it draws level with the pillars the hand explodes: it has spun straight into an invisible barrier of destructive energy that flows between the pillars. As the hand disintegrates into thousands of tiny fragments you feel elated that, at last, victory is yours.

  Turn to 334.

  216

  To your relief you discover that the door is unlocked and unguarded. Beyond it, a torchlit corridor descends through a series of deserted chambers, each one defaced by years of neglect and decay. Rotting curtains and mouldering furniture are all that remain of a sumptuous abode, a luxurious underground retreat for the Lord of Kazan-Oud.

  You are about to enter another of these chambers when the sound of muttering stops you dead in your tracks. Three spindly-limbed creatures are seated at a table in the centre of the room. They chatter excitedly in a language that is alien to your ears and point with slim, green fingers at a parchment spread out before them. They wear long, hooded robes of purple silk and appear to be unarmed.

  If you have completed the Lore-circle of Solaris, turn to 244.

  If you wish to launch a surprise attack on these unsuspecting creatures, turn to 295.

  If you wish to try to sneak through the chamber and attempt to reach the opposite corridor unseen, turn to 343.

  217

  The strength of your Kai Mastery overcomes the pain that tears at your mind, and you swiftly regain full control of your body. Snatching up your weapon from the hot black sand, you lash out at the tendril, severing its tip. But instead of blood, or what would pass for blood in the body of this ghastly creature, a flame sparks into life like a sputtering fuse. The brain ceases to move, hovering motionless above the sand, as the spitting flame burns fiercely along its thin tube of sundered flesh.

  Turn to 170.

  218

  The first bubble bursts with a loud bang that causes the creature to howl with fear. You watch as the great black hound scrambles to a halt, its horrible face lined with fear. Whimpering pitifully it backs slowly up the corridor. At the corner it howls with frustration before slinking away out of sight.

  Turn to 151.

  219

  You lash out at the monster's eyelid and open a terrible wound. But before you can deal another a bolt of red fire screams down from the grating, hits your shoulder, and paralyses your whole arm with a sickening pain. You reel back, your weapon clattering to the ground as your fingers are robbed of all feeling (lose 6 ENDURANCE points).

  The snake writhes and twists in blind rage, its open jaws seeking you out to exact its revenge. It soon picks up your scent and attacks with frightening speed.

  Giant Hactaraton: COMBAT SKILL 20 ENDURANCE 45

  Your weapon lies on the ground near your feet, and you must deduct 4 points from your COMBAT SKILL total for the first two rounds of combat. If you are still alive at the beginning of the third round, you can retrieve your weapon. Unless you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing double all ENDURANCE points that you lose during the combat, due to the venomous bite of your enemy.

  If you win the fight, turn to 21.

  220

  Your companion rolls the body over and unsheathes a Short Sword and a Dagger from the belt. You may take the Axe that was used in combat and the Dagger, if you wish.

  At the bottom of the stairs is a deserted hallway at the end of which are two great doors of gleaming bronze. Sumptuous tapestries and statuettes of gold line the walls on either side, and an ornate fountain of silvered marble fills the hall with a melodious bubbling sound.

  You have covered less than twenty feet when an armoured guard steps into view from behind the fountain. He raises a crossbow and you shout a warning to your newfound partner — but you are too late. The bolt hisses through the air, hitting him with such force that he is knocked off his feet and sent crashing to the ground. The guard fumbles in a leather pouch for another quarrel with which to dispatch you.

  If you wish to aid your wounded companion, turn to 28.

  If you decide to attack the guard before he can reload his weapon, turn to 81.

  221

  A great toad-like face stares unblinkingly into your eyes as it emerges from the shadows to bask in the green light that illuminates the beach. Its body, pale and bloated like a huge, fat worm, slithers into view, and you shudder at the sight of the open sores that disfigure its skin.

  Illustration XIII—A great toad-like face stares unblinkingly into your eyes.

  A ghastly noise echoes from deep within its open mouth as it rears up to attack you with a razor-sharp tongue. Due to the surprise of its attack, you cannot make use of a Bow.

  Zagothal: COMBAT SKILL 29 ENDURANCE 28

  If you wish, you may evade after two rounds of combat; turn to 229.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility, you may evade combat at any time without losing ENDURANCE points; turn to 70.

  If you win the combat, turn to 271.

  222

  You slip and fall but miraculously you manage to hang on to the invisible beam. Your legs are stinging (lose 2 ENDURANCE points) but you ignore the pain, concentrating all your effort on swinging them back onto the beam. Just as you succeed, the crack of the whip resounds once more and burns its mark across your back (lose another ENDURANCE point).

>   When the whip cracks a third time it cuts only air, for you have crawled out of range of its cruel bite.

  Turn to 6.

  223

  A searing current of pain runs the length of your arm and explodes in your head. Lights flash before your eyes, and you collapse into unconsciousness.

  Turn to 165.

  224

  As your hand closes around the hilt of the sword, somewhere in the mist above your head the voice of the skull speaks a chilling rhyme:

  Hand to take;

  Spell to break;

  Stir a terror

  In your wake.

  If you still wish to pick up the sword, turn to 96.

  If you decide not to take the sword and wish to leave the vault by the left tunnel, turn to 298.

  If you prefer to leave by the right tunnel, turn to 322.

  225

  Only the faint green light of the power-shield illuminates your moving target. You notch an Arrow and take careful aim as it speeds up the beach, weaving in and out of the boulders that litter its path.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Weaponmastery with Bow, add 3 to the number you have picked.

  If your total is now 0–6, turn to 196.

  If it is 7 or more, turn to 112.

  226

  Without any warning, the hand springs to life. It stands upright on its fingers, the first two drawn back so that it resembles a monstrous spider preparing to attack. You step back aghast as it scurries around in a circle on the granite plinth.

  If you wish to attack the hand, turn to 116.

  If you have a Fireseed and wish to throw it at the plinth, turn to 157.

  If you wish to skirt around the plinth and enter the passage beyond, turn to 302.

  227

  His pack and the pockets of his leather armour contain the following items:

  Enough dried meat for 1 Meal

  Rope

  Blanket

  Dagger

  Vial of Blue Pills

  Bottle of Water

  Power-key

  All the items, with the exception of the Power-key, which is a Special Item, are Backpack Items. If you wish to take any of them, remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing, you can identify the nature of the Blue Pills by turning to 43.

  To leave the body and continue, turn to 323.

  228

  The stone blocks crumble on the third blow, and you waste no time climbing through the hole and into the rough-hewn tunnel beyond. The canopy of mist no longer obscures the ceiling and the tunnel is dark and damp; you feel sure that you have escaped from the maze.

  The tunnel twists and turns like a gigantic snake until you arrive at a wall made up of planks of wood. The timber is rotten and you have no difficulty gaining access to the vaulted corridor beyond. The tunnel on this side of the wooden wall is far cleaner and drier, and you walk easily along it until you come to a junction: a passage crosses from left to right.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship, turn to 330.

  If you wish to take the passage to your left, turn to 20.

  If you wish to take the passage to your right, turn to 92.

  229

  Your heart pounding, you run as fast as you can towards the shelter of the rocky base of Kazan-Oud. Panting for breath, you reach the glistening black stone wall, where you discover a ragged fissure that splits its sheer surface. You are about to step in, when the rustle and slither of unseen things, echoing from the inky darkness, make you hesitate.

  If you wish to enter the fissure, turn to 16.

  If you wish to press on along the beach, turn to 173.

  230

  As soon as you swallow the pills, you feel your body relax and your lungs cease to ache. Oxygen is being drawn from the water around you, absorbed by your body through the pores of your skin.

  Freed from the immediate threat of drowning, you apply yourself to finding a way out of this watery tomb.

  If you wish to try to open the locked door, turn to 66.

  If you wish to examine the statue, turn to 168.

  231

  There is a soft click and the panel slides open to reveal a set of steps leading down to a wooden door, its timber reinforced with bands of iron.

  If you wish to enter the sarcophagus, turn to 37.

  If you decide against entering, turn to 102.

  232

  Your Arrow pierces the leading creature's arm. It staggers and howls abysmally as a thick, green fluid oozes from the wound. To your surprise and disgust, the others leap upon their injured companion, biting and clawing at the wound with their teeth and talons. The limb is swiftly torn from the body and consumed.

  If you wish to draw another Arrow and fire again, turn to 152.

  If you decide to shoulder your Bow and evade these ghoulish creatures by escaping into the archway opposite, turn to 241.

  233

  Relentlessly the worm moves forward, forcing you back up the ramp towards the oval door. But there is no escape this way — you have no choice but to fight the repulsive creature. The monster is especially susceptible to psychic attack. If you choose to use Mindblast or Psi-surge during combat, double all ENDURANCE point losses sustained by the enemy.

  Oudagorg: COMBAT SKILL 17 ENDURANCE 17

  If you win the combat, turn to 209.

  234

  You recognize the tangle of greyish-green weed half-submerged in the waters around your sinking boat. It is Black Lakeweed, a carnivorous plant commonly found in the swamps and freshwater lakes of central Magnamund. Forewarned by your Kai Mastery, you dive into the lake and swim submerged until you are clear of the deadly plants.

  Turn to 158.

  235

  The hand is fast, but you are faster. Diving and rolling, you avoid its initial attack and crouch ready to receive its next attempt. It rises once more and, as you stare at its ghastly form, you suddenly realize its horrific purpose. It is a predator, an evil, sentient being that can only survive by consuming an exclusive form of nourishment — live human brain. You fight back your rising fear as it speeds towards you. This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge) in combat.

  Rahkos: COMBAT SKILL 18 ENDURANCE 30

  If you win the combat, turn to 22.

  236

  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. Two torchlit tunnels offer exits from the 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.

  237

  You dive and roll, but your Backpack hits the falling wall and jams. In the next instant you are crushed by twenty tons of solid stone.

  Your life and your mission have come to a tragic end here.

  238

  Rolling the body over with the toe of your boot, you quickly check for useful items and discover the following:

  Axe

  Short Sword

  Dagger

  2 Gold Crowns

  Remember to mark any items you wish to keep on your Action Chart before making your escape down the stairs.

  Turn to 55.

  239

  The sharp crack of splintering wood fills your ears as you are thrown bodily through the air. The stinking cobblestones of the jetty greet your return to earth, and instinctively you roll on landing to lessen the shock of impact. You are winded but otherwise unharmed. Staggering to your feet, you see two rough-hewn staircases at the far end of the jetty: one ascends to a cave-like entrance in the sheer rock wall; the other leads down to a tiny beach covered with boulders and black sand.

  If you have the M
agnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship, turn to 251.

  If you wish to climb the staircase to the entrance above, turn to 82.

  If you wish to descend to the beach below, turn to 30.

  240

  You cover fifty yards before the passage opens into a large, circular chamber. There, on a plinth in the centre of the floor, rests a severed human hand. The skin is mottled and swollen, the fingers black and decayed. Beyond the plinth, the passage continues straight ahead, flanked by two pillars of speckled green stone.

  If you wish to examine the severed hand, turn to 226.

  If you wish to skirt around the plinth and enter the passage beyond, turn to 302.

  241

  A bolt of red fire whistles past your head and explodes just above the archway. Fragments of rock graze your scalp and you are momentarily blinded as you run through the debris. As you raise your arm to wipe your face on your sleeve, another bolt catches you squarely in the back and pitches you flat on your stomach.