The Defenders of Dusk

by Dane Barrett

  9

  The spear soars through the air and plunges directly through the chest of the Gekka leader. Its body pulls back with the momentum of the weapon, and the other reptile soldiers watch in dismay as their leader slips off the inner edge of the parapet, landing with a spray of blood upon the city street below. As the guardsmen rally against their enemies, you step forward and, drawing your sword, seek to finish off two more of the Gekka troops. You must fight them both at the same time!

  GEKKA SLICER: FIGHT 8, HEALTH 4

  GEKKA BRUISER: FIGHT 7, HEALTH 5

  If you defeat both enemies, add 15 to your RESISTANCE points. You bend down to wipe the blood from your blade just as a procession of trebuchet stones soar overhead. You watch in dismay as one strikes the top of the eastern tower, followed by a wailing of anguish from somebody up there. You know that Babin was stationed on that tower as part of the ballista crew, so you hurriedly scramble up the stone steps to find out if he is alright! Turn to 367.

  10

  You head back a short distance to the west until you reach a staircase leading down to the city streets. You descend rapidly, turning and making your way again towards the east. As you are crossing the inner shield wall, several Gekka troops vault over the barrier and begin slaughtering the city guardsmen from behind. You jump into the fray to help the guards fight them off. You must do combat with three Gekkas at the same time!

  GEKKA SHOCK-TROOP: FIGHT 8, HEALTH 4

  GEKKA BRUISER 1: FIGHT 7, HEALTH 5

  GEKKA BRUISER 2: FIGHT 7, HEALTH 4

  If you defeat all three opponents, you continue moving eastwards and eventually ascend a stairway leading up onto what is left of the central parapet. Once you are back at the top, you suddenly hear screams emanating from the battlements to the east, and rush off in that direction immediately! Turn to 109.

  11

  You are careful to take soft steps as you once again walk past the broken portcullis. The room ahead is empty now, with no sign of any rats, though the partially-consumed dead body of the town guard still lies in the centre of the room. Other than that, this location contains nothing more than the grime and foul odours you have become accustomed to underground. Not having found anything beyond the broken portcullis, you decide to try to open the iron door (turn to 306).

  12

  You climb inside the wardrobe and brace yourself against its sides in case the wall of fire brings with it a powerful blast. After a few moments, it hits, and you can hear the building around you catch alight and begin to crack like a toppling ship's mast. The fire pours around the wardrobe, splintering the wood and allowing some of the flames to claw their way inside, severely burning any parts of your body not insulated by your leather armour. Subtract 2 from your HEALTH. Suddenly your hiding place tilts sideways, and you know the building around you has toppled. You brace yourself as you are pressed hard against the wall of the wardrobe until finally, a jolt signals your progress has been halted by another obstacle. You attempt to open the door of the wardrobe but, whether it be from its own damage or from something else laying upon it, it just won't budge. You focus your mind and push hard with all of your might as the heat continues to increase around you. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your STRENGTH, turn to 57. If the dice roll is higher than your STRENGTH, turn to 141.

  13

  You are careful to keep to the shadows as you cross over to the left side of the bridge. As expected, there is another walkway here, but unlike the other one, this platform does not follow a path parallel to the structure but instead curls underneath it. You creep down the riverbank, keeping yourself hidden behind an overgrowth of weeds. You don't see any guards, so you grab hold of the side of the walkway and pull yourself up and onto it. The path continues under the main section of the bridge, eventually becoming a dark and grimy slab of stone which makes up part of the structure's lower foundations. Layers of moss have taken root, and there are leaves scattered about, blown in by the wind, which stick to the soles of your boots. You are careful not to fall into the water alongside the path, as you know some breeds of predatory fish make their home in the border river. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your SENSE, turn to 103. If the dice roll is higher than your SENSE, turn to 304.

  14

  You will have to fight these guards, but you needn't do it alone! Zabel emerges from between two wooden structures on the right side of the courtyard and attacks your opponents from behind. You must fight the following guards all at the same time while Zabel handles the rest.

  GEKKA: FIGHT 8, HEALTH 4

  ORC #1: FIGHT 6, HEALTH 3

  ORC #2: FIGHT 5, HEALTH 3

  (the following enemy is only applicable if you do not have the keyword SENT)

  *ORC SENTRY: FIGHT 6, HEALTH 3.

  *If you DO NOT have the keyword SENT, then a further orc sentry appears from an elevated position, armed with a crossbow. Treat him as being part of the combat, but you cannot inflict damage on him until all of the other enemies are defeated. If you DO have the keyword SENT, then the orc sentry is no longer alive and does not participate in this fight. If you win this battle, turn to 74.

  15

  Starting with your fingers, you push your hand down into the unpleasant, wriggling throng of arthropods. You feel no resistance, your limb slipping through the tiny bodies all the way to the middle of your forearm. You detect nothing but the agitated movement of the centipedes until something unexpectedly clamps itself onto your hand and bites down hard. Intense pain erupts up through your forearm. Subtract 1 from your HEALTH. If you are still alive, continue reading. Will you persevere with searching through the mass of centipedes (turn to 123) or withdraw your arm, cursing the unpleasant creatures, and leave via the open grate (turn to 233)?

  16

  You can no longer draw in breath as the dragon slowly crushes you with its massive claw. Though your vision is now clouded with blood running out of your nose and eye sockets, you can still hear the unpleasant chorus of your bones snapping under the pressure of the beast's weight. With one final push, the dragon puts you out of your misery, avenging its dead master. Your adventure ends here.

  17

  As you step carefully into another room, this one just as dark and dingy as those you have traversed through to get here, you spy several low-set hairy forms ahead. They are facing away from you, seemingly gnawing away on the corpse of some unfortunate guard. These are giant rats, and as of now, they have not yet detected your arrival. Glancing about the room, you can see a series of pipes spanning across the ceiling which you could theoretically use to shimmy past the rats from above. These bend to your right and would take you through a doorway with a broken portcullis, bypassing the rest of the room. If you attempt to sneak past on foot, the rats will assuredly sense you. There is also another door set into the far wall; one made of iron, with a small keyhole built into its frame. Will you attack the rats, ambushing them from behind? If so, turn to 223. If you would instead prefer to climb along the pipes above to attempt to get through the room unnoticed, then roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your STRENGTH, turn to 357. If the dice roll is higher than your STRENGTH, turn to 165.

  18

  Your feet scamper across the wooden wall planks, the sound of your steps cushioned nicely by the fabric you wrapped around your boots. You pick up momentum as you travel on your downward curve and slow again as you bend upwards towards the window. You quickly scramble to your target before deftly swinging yourself into its opening, releasing the rope as you do. Now safely inside, you find yourself in a small enclosure with a ladder leading into a hatch in the ceiling. There is nowhere else to go, so you climb the ladder and slowly open the door above. Turn to 207.

  19

  You wait until your enemies are almost upon you before launching yourself up and out of the water with both blades drawn. You lunge at Sloman, driving your sword into its refuse-laden head, and feel a deep satisfaction as it cries out in pain. Th
e demon is not yet dead, however, so you will have to finish it off, along with Gribb-gribb! You must fight them both at the same time.

  SLOMAN the FILTH-DEMON: FIGHT 8, HEALTH 4

  GRIBB-GRIBB: FIGHT 7, HEALTH 6

  Note: Due to Gribb-gribb's ability to fly out of range, you cannot inflict any damage upon him until Sloman is defeated. Gribb-gribb will continue to pepper you with throwing knives in the meantime, so can still cause you damage.

  If you win this battle, turn to 228.

  20

  Fagen is taken entirely unawares by your attack from above and is knocked face-first into the muddy ground. You leap forward to press your attack, and the sorcerer manages to roll over and deflect two of your blows with his forearms before your boot collects him across his chin. He suddenly flies up at you unexpectedly, using his command of the wind to lift his body from the ground, but you respond by grabbing his arm and hurling him over your shoulder. Fagen slams heavily on his back before casting a shield over himself to prevent you from hitting him again. Subtract 1 from Fagen's HEALTH. Knowing that you will have to wait for his ward to dissipate, you take this opportunity to retreat down the next street. If you have lowered Fagen's HEALTH to 8, turn to 271. If not, continue reading.

  “Come back here!” Fagen shouts after you. “Face me like a man! You can come at me from above, below or from the flank, but you will never prevail against my power!”

  Once you are sure that you are out of the sorcerer's sight, you quickly look around trying to decide how to harry him next.

  Will you attempt to surprise him around an alley corner (turn to 146),

  drop on top of him from another balcony (turn to 296),

  attack him from under a drain grill (turn to 80),

  ambush him from one of the windows (turn to 190)

  or hide in the shadows and try to sneak up behind him as he passes by (turn to 166)?

  21

  You choose to keep the rapier hidden on your person. Write down the keyword RAPIER.

  “Get to your assigned rooftops,” says Arinzo. “I'll meet you both on the other side of town.”

  “Yes, sir,” you reply in unison. Turn to 82.

  22

  The deer senses that you mean it no harm and allows you to get close enough to touch it. Seeing the piece of horn in your hand, it bows its head, bringing its mighty golden antlers to bear. At first, you think it might be about to attack until you realise it wishes you to reattach the broken piece. Placing the guard against the sheered section of antler, you watch in amazement as the pieces begin to knit themselves together seamlessly. Once the bone has miraculously healed itself, the deer glances at you briefly before turning around and disappearing back into the vegetation. A bright golden light envelopes you, and you close your eyes to prevent yourself from being blinded. A warmth surrounds your body, bestowing upon you the gift of a powerful and ancient blessing. Write down the keyword NATURE. Choose an attribute which has a maximum value of 10 or less. Permanently increase the maximum value of that attribute by 1. Then restore your HEALTH back to its maximum value. You also experience a vision. You see the evening sky, filled with stars. A streak of light shoots between two of the celestial bodies.

  When you open your eyes again, you find yourself back in the narrow crawlspace tunnel. You recheck the wall but find it is now solid, and whatever entrance to the grove that was once here is now gone. Write down the keyword SLIP. Collecting the gear you had previously left behind, you head back to the cavern. Once there, will you instead head down the left-hand twisting passage (turn to 311) or the middle tunnel (turn to 63)?

  23

  You spot movement in the shadows to your right and spy the familiar face of Babin poking his head out of a low-set hole in the wall. He sends you a quick wink before cupping his hands over his mouth and calling out to the orcs. His call is not one using words, however, but instead a somewhat squeaky rendition of a duck. Quite what a pond-based animal is doing within their system of caves, the orcs do not know, so they move away from the exit to investigate. This allows you to slip in behind them and sneak away up the tunnel. While thankful for the timely distraction, you hope Babin doesn't get himself into unnecessary trouble. Turn to 32.

  24

  “Who did you say the message was for?” one of the orcs asks, looking somewhat intimidated by your threat.

  “Homson Nullsitter,” you mumble back.

  “Who? Speak up!”

  “Fronsom Sintlerern. Look, just ask Felltor Bucklestar. He knows who I mean. I served with them both at Tumbletonninin.”

  “What, who, how and where?” the orc stumbles, scratching his head.

  “Look, he obviously knows everyone,” says the other guard, not appearing any less confused than his friend. “Let's just let him in. If he's not who he says he is, the boss will kill him anyway.”

  “Yeah okay. Go through, stranger.” You enter the building, dumbfounded that your gambit succeeded. Turn to 170.

  25

  “Quickly!” you exclaim. “The ballista!”

  “But it's broken!” replies Babin.

  “We're not going to fire it. We're going to toss it!”

  The guardsmen catch on to your idea, helping to lift the broken machine to the edge of the tower. Judging the angle of the giant lizard below, you push the tangled mass of wood and metal over the battlements and watch as it satisfactorily collides with the head of your target, sending the beast and its rider downwards to land upon even more enemy soldiers. Add 5 to your RESISTANCE points.

  “Well, that worked better than I expected,” one of the guardsmen says while adjusting his helmet. You nod in agreement and turn your attention back to Babin.

  “Now pull yourself together, man!” you say. “I'm heading back down to the eastern parapet. If I hear anymore wailing up here, I'll be back with a whipping stick!”

  “Oh, very well!” Babin says grumpily while grabbing his battle blades from where he had stored them in one of the corners of the tower roof. It is then you hear the ominous sounds of screams to the west, and rush down the stone steps again to find out what is happening. Turn to 109.

  26

  Much like the earlier tunnels, this one eventually levels out and opens into a cavern. This area is much bigger than any you have seen previously in these caves. It is so large that small wooden huts have been built here and a courtyard has been constructed in its centrum. You have emerged from a tunnel mouth surrounded by a wooden frame. To your right is a wooden platform with a small shed built upon it, and further ahead the path curves and you can see five guards milling about as if waiting for orders. Two orcs stand beside the entrance to another tunnel, while the other three guards are slightly shorter, reptilian creatures with spines running along the middle of their heads and backs. You recognise them as Gekkas, particularly ruthless soldiers genetically engineered through magical means. They do not wear armour, but their scaly skin is said to be as tough as ringmail. You will need to be careful as you traverse this area, as alerting all the guards at once could lead to a difficult battle. Peering ahead you can see some scattered cover to the right of the courtyard, although you also spy a trench-like depression to the left. Will you climb the wooden platform (turn to 157), or continue on into the courtyard, down the left side (turn to 188) or along the right side (turn to 347)?

  27

  You place your nose against the ballista's ladder shaft and peer closely at the locking grooves.

  “Did you get overrun up here at some point?” you ask no one in particular.

  “Aye,” answers one of the weapon operators. “Some orc rogues climbed the tower wall and attempted to sabotage the ballista. Ullucus used his magic to burst them all like bubbles.”

  “And I'm guessing blood went everywhere?”

  “Aye! It took a few minutes to clean all the guts off the machine.”

  “Well you missed a spot,” you say, pointing his attention to the grooves. “Blood splatter has begun to congeal along the ladder,
causing the bearing to slip.” You run the edge of your longsword width-ways across the ladder, scooping away several blobs of caked blood. Then you wind the giant ballista winch until the arms bend enough to allow the bearing to lock into place. You load a dart onto the ladder, just in time to witness a lizard rider emerging from over the upper battlement! You slap the winch handle, releasing the dart which plunges swiftly into the neck of the enemy creature. The soldier sitting in the beast's saddle stares at you in stunned disbelief before both rider and mount topple away from the wall to their deaths. Add 5 to your RESISTANCE points. Your job is done and the ballista is now operational again, so you bid the others farewell and rush back down the stone steps. Turn to 390.

  28

  You grip the iron bars tightly as you ascend to the gate's uppermost frame. You need only clamber over the top, and you will be free to drop safely down to the other side. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your SENSE, turn to 339. If the dice roll is higher than your SENSE, turn to 300.