The Kingdoms of Terror

by Joe Dever

  If you wish to approach the merchant at his table, turn to 240.

  If you would rather approach the tavern-keeper, turn to 312.

  54

  You have little choice but to spend the night in the stable with your horse. Your sleep is very uncomfortable, for the stable is both draughty and damp. You lose 2 ENDURANCE points. Make the necessary adjustments to your Action Chart.

  Turn to 272.

  55

  ‘Bah!’ exclaims a guard contemptuously. ‘We have no time for witless wanderers. Go back to Casiorn if you have no business here.’ He spits at the ground and the guards turn towards the open town gate.

  If you wish to offer them gold to let you enter, turn to 9.

  If you wish to ride past them and through the open gate, turn to 261.

  If you decide to turn away and attempt to enter the town by the north gate, turn to 137.

  56

  You draw an Arrow, aim, and fire a split second before the bolt of energy hits your chest. Your Arrow pierces the leader's heart, killing him instantly, but the wound that you yourself suffer knocks you to the ground. Pick a number from the Random Number Table (in this instance, 0 = 10). The number you have picked equals the number of ENDURANCE points that you have lost due to the chest wound.

  If you are still alive, you scramble to your feet and run as fast as you can through the undergrowth towards your horse. The golden rod has been retrieved by one of the other men, and he is preparing to use it again.

  Turn to 182.

  57

  The bolt hits you with such force that you are lifted out of the saddle and thrown to the ground. Flashing lights spin before your eyes and you gasp for breath as a terrifying numbness spreads from your chest through your limbs. There is no pain — only a chilling paralysis that robs you of all resistance to death.

  Your quest and your life end here at the Denka Gate.

  58

  You sense that the Kloon is deeply insulted and has gone to fetch his pet: a very ferocious Vassagonian warhound. As the warhound has not been fed for over two days, it is very unlikely that it will listen to reason. Without a moment's hesitation, you decide to leave the guild-house before the Kloon and his hungry hound return.

  Turn to 105.

  59

  You sense that the time has come for you to decide whether to stay with the captain or to leave his company and ride to Tekaro alone.

  If you wish to stay with the captain, turn to 290.

  If you decide to ride to Tekaro alone, turn to 11.

  60

  The quality of the weapons made by Durenese armourers has justly made them famous throughout the Lastlands. The bow you have chosen is very old, but unlike the other two bows it is still in excellent working order.

  To begin the tournament, turn to 340.

  61

  Your Magnakai Discipline makes you sensitive to the faintest aroma of gallowbrush. It is commonly called ‘Sleeptooth’ in your homeland of Sommerlund, for the crushed thorns of the gallowbrush briar make a very powerful sleeping draught. For some unknown reason, this man is trying to make you unconscious.

  If you wish to draw your weapon and attack him, turn to 277.

  If you wish to throw down your goblet and leave, turn to 279.

  62

  You are correct: the boy has blond hair and the girl has black hair. Your logical thinking revealed they could not both have been speaking the truth, for the conjurer had said that at least one of them was lying — and if one was lying then the other could not have been speaking the truth. Therefore, there was only one conclusion to be drawn: both lied.

  The conjurer pays you the number of Gold Crowns equal to that which you wagered. Remember to add this sum to your current total of Gold Crowns before approaching the bar and enquiring about a room for the night.

  Turn to 253.

  63

  The path that leads to Castle Taunor is steep and slippery, and far too treacherous to be attempted on horseback. Cyrilus offers to stay and look after your horse while you collect some spa water, saying that he is too old to climb the hill track. However, you suspect that it is just his excuse to take an afternoon nap.

  Illustration IV—The path to Castle Taunor is steep and slippery.

  The castle is less than a mile from the highway, yet it takes over half an hour to complete the hazardous climb to the rock shelf. The crumbling castle walls are covered with damp foliage and mildew, and the over-hanging precipice envelops the keep with its gloomy shadow. You follow the sound of dripping water until you find yourself in a small chapel, where you discover a rivulet of sparkling spa-water trickling from a crack in the altar stone. As you kneel at the altar, filling your glass jar, you suddenly hear a noise: you are not alone.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, turn to 162.

  If you do not possess this skill, turn to 278.

  64

  You retrace your steps to the junction and pause so that you can decide which is the best route to take.

  If you wish to go straight ahead, turn to 339.

  If you decide to take the channel to your left, turn to 269.

  65

  With a blood-curdling shriek, the Yawshath dives straight for you from the top of the stairs. With ice-cold nerve you steel yourself to strike. Your blow is well timed and deadly accurate, tearing open the creature's chest. A split second later you leap aside to avoid being crushed beneath its heavy body as it crashes into the flagstones. It shudders for a brief moment before death comes to claim its evil soul.

  Shaken, but thankful to be alive, you return to the chapel and fill your glass jar with Taunor Water (there is enough spa water to restore 6 ENDURANCE points). You may drink the water now or store it in your Backpack for future use. If you do keep it, mark it on your Action Chart as a Backpack Item.

  If you now wish to search the chapel, turn to 24.

  If you decide to return to Cyrilus, turn to 338.

  66

  The man is quick to react to your attack. Hurling the silver tray at your head, he escapes through a curtained archway at the back of the shop.

  If you wish to give chase, turn to 324.

  If you decide to let him go and leave the taxidermy, turn to 279.

  67

  The street becomes as silent as death as all eyes focus accusingly on you. The leader's face becomes twisted with hatred. He points a crooked finger at your forehead and utters a dreadful curse.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen, turn to 255.

  If you do not possess this skill, turn to 315.

  68

  As you ride along the quay, you study your map of the Stornlands for an alternative route to Tekaro. There are two roads that will take you there: the mountain highway through the Ceners via Rhem, or the valley highway through Amory and the Forest of Eula. Lack of sleep and fatigue from your long ride cloud your mind and you decide that your first priority must be to have a good night's sleep.

  A quayside tavern displays a sign promising the most comfortable beds in all of Soren. This is all you need to be persuaded to stable your horse and enter its doors.

  Turn to 167.

  69

  You press yourself into the narrow recess and pray that the creature will pass you by. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility, add 5 to the number you have picked.

  If your total is now 0–5, turn to 128.

  If it is now 6–14, turn to 246.

  70

  The path ends at the point where the Rivers Storn and Quarl converge in a V-shaped bank. Ogron engineers and carpenters are busy at work constructing pontoons for floating bridges, which look like enclosed rowing boats and are destined to be used to cross the river further downstream.

  Staring out across the water, you notice a dark shadow like the entrance to a cave at the base of the city wall. After concentrating for a few moments, you find you can make out the dull criss-cross of
metal bars. It is a sewer outfall.

  If you wish to ask the blue-skinned Ogrons what they know about the sewer outfall, turn to 133.

  If you wish to try to take one of the pontoons and row across the river, turn to 163.

  If you wish to swim across the river, turn to 171.

  71

  The man leaps back, unsheathing a wide-bladed sword from beneath his bearskin cloak. ‘Fool!’ he cries, contemptuously. ‘Victory to the man who is left alive.’ You have insulted this man, and he is determined to fight you to the death as a matter of honour. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control you may add 2 points to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of the fight as you are fighting from the saddle.

  Illustration V—He is determined to fight you to the death.

  Redbeard: COMBAT SKILL 19 ENDURANCE 28

  If you wish to evade combat at any time by galloping along the street, turn to 279.

  If you win the combat, turn to 237.

  72

  The shouts of the town guard sergeant ring in your ears as you urge your horse towards the wagon. You pray that your mount has strength enough to clear the obstacle, for you are now committed to jumping it — you cannot turn back.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, add 2 to the number you have picked.

  If your total is now 0–1, turn to 36.

  If your total is now 2–7, turn to 166.

  If your total is now 8–11, turn to 274.

  73

  Shortly before noon you pass through a deserted village. The burnt-out ruins of cottages and farmsteads dot the landscape like charred skeletons — the unmistakable signs of war. A mile or two farther along the highway you come across a church. A man, his clothes ragged and covered with mud, is moving amongst the gravestones, staggering like a wounded carrion crow. As you reach the church gate, he sees you and cries out pitifully for help.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing, turn to 173.

  If you wish to help the man, turn to 337.

  If you do not wish to help the man and would rather ignore him and continue riding towards Soren, turn to 191.

  74

  You do not have to wait very long for the riders to appear. As soon as they think you have gone, they emerge in single file from the back of a derelict cottage and draw themselves into a circle in the middle of the village. Although they are out of earshot, you can tell by their frantic movements and gestures that they are having a heated argument. Suddenly, they break the circle and ride towards you. Cyrilus, still lying unconscious across his horse, is in tow behind the last rider.

  If you have a Bow and want to ambush them as they ride past your hiding place, turn to 20.

  If you wish to attack the last rider and try to recapture Cyrilus, turn to 203.

  If you wish to let them pass and then follow them, turn to 227.

  75

  A deafening roar of rage and pain fills your ears. The monster staggers back, its face transformed into a bloody scarlet mask as the Arrow pierces its eye. It shudders and sways before keeling over onto its back, writhing for a brief moment in the mud and debris of the chapel floor.

  Turn to 112.

  76

  It is customary for the proprietor of the Inn of the Crossed Swords to throw out anyone who cannot pay his board and lodging. This makes your position difficult as the curfew bell was rung nearly an hour ago and anyone found in the streets an hour after its sounding is liable to be imprisoned by the city watch.

  Rather than face imprisonment and the possible failure of your quest, you can sell some of your equipment in order to raise cash. The fat-bellied mercenary who took your bets will pay the following prices for these (but only these) items:

  Sword — 3 Gold Crowns

  Dagger — 1 Gold Crown

  Broadsword — 6 Gold Crowns

  Short Sword — 2 Gold Crowns

  Mace — 3 Gold Crowns

  Ruby Ring — 10 Gold Crowns

  Warhammer — 5 Gold Crowns

  Spear — 4 Gold Crowns

  Axe — 2 Gold Crowns

  Bow — 5 Gold Crowns

  Quarterstaff — 2 Gold Crowns

  Silver Brooch — 7 Gold Crowns

  You will need a minimum of 2 Gold Crowns in order to stay the night at the Inn of the Crossed Swords.

  If you wish to sell him some equipment, make the necessary adjustments to your Action Chart and turn to 336.

  If you wish to keep your equipment, or if you do not have items of interest to the mercenary, you must take your chances with the city watch and turn to 138.

  77

  Leaping over the dead bodies, you fight your way across the deck to where the captain is in combat with five pirates. While he attacks with a longsword in his right hand, he parries enemy cutlasses with a bronze sleeve-shield that encases his left forearm. He fights with cool determination, making light work of the battle-clumsy pirates. Then a war-horn heralds the arrival of a new and formidable wave of attackers. You anticipate the captain's danger and rush to protect his back from the snarling, mad-eyed pirate berserkers.

  Illustration VI—You rush to protect the captain from the snarling pirate berserkers.

  Pirate Berserkers: COMBAT SKILL 20 ENDURANCE 30

  Due to their state of battle-frenzy, the pirate berserkers are immune to Mindblast, but not Psi-surge.

  If you win the combat, turn to 297.

  78

  You prepare yourself for combat and leap to the defence of the helpless old man just in time to turn aside the lordling's sword.

  ‘Curse you, scum!’ he cries. ‘I am Roark, highborn of Amory. How dare you interfere with my sport.’

  He feints withdrawal but you are not taken in by his street-brawl tactics. As his sword cuts the air in a vicious backhanded slash, you are ready to parry the blow. The tavern crowd cheer in anticipation of a good fight.

  Roark: COMBAT SKILL 24 ENDURANCE 30

  If you reduce Roark's ENDURANCE to 11 points or less, do not continue the combat but turn instead to 180.

  79

  You pass many soldiers of different races and nationalities, lolling in open doorways or squatting against the red brick walls. They are mercenaries, drawn to Varetta by the news of war in the north. They come in search of employment, for the chance to sell their skills to any buyer, indifferent to the justness of his cause.

  Beneath a black iron lantern, you notice a group of men throwing dice against the side of a wall.

  If you wish to stop and ask them the way to Brass Street, turn to 291.

  If you wish to continue on your way, turn to 307.

  80

  The flame illuminates a deep circular pit where the floor of the chamber should be. Lying at the bottom are a myriad of human skulls and bones, their surfaces strangely smooth and yellow as if corroded by some powerful acid. The faintest of sounds makes you glance over your shoulder — you are frozen with terror by the sight that meets your eyes. A huge lumbering monster fills the tunnel, over ten feet tall with thick, twisted limbs and eight-fingered hands tipped with razor-sharp talons that are poised to rip your flesh. Baleful, monstrous eyes protrude from yellow slits in its glistening head, and a long reptilian tail whips behind it.

  It strikes before you can react, knocking you back into the pit. A peculiar and hideous sound fills the chamber as it claws a lever in the wall, causing a rain of yellow fluid to pour from the ceiling. As the acid eats through your cloak and sears your flesh, the last thing you hear is the hideous laughter of the Dakomyd.

  Your quest and your life end here in the sewers of Tekaro.

  81

  Arrows scream past on all sides. One shaft gouges a furrow of skin from the horse's rump, causing him to twist and buck; you shorten the reins and urge him forward. Your quick thinking helps you regain control of the frightened animal, and soon you are well out of range of the deadly arrows.

  Turn to 39.

  82
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  The hold of the riverboat is full of horses: not the slow carthorses favoured by merchants but strong and sturdy mounts that carry many scars of battle upon their muscular flanks. You unsaddle your mare, load her manger with feed, and then make your way back on deck.

  As you emerge from the hold, a voice calls out to you and you raise your weary eyes. It is the captain — the mercenary leader you ran across at the Inn of the Crossed Swords.

  ‘Well met, my friend,’ he cries and slaps you enthusiastically on the shoulder. ‘So you changed your mind! You have come to join my band of fearless fighters.’ Before you have a chance to answer, the captain and his men, who are all considerably the worse for drink, stumble past on a quest of the utmost importance — the search for the wine store. You are far too tired and weary to follow — the thought of your cabin bed and a good night's sleep is all that interests you.

  Turn to 341.

  83