The Defenders of Dusk

by Dane Barrett

  29

  You can see what seems to be the leader's tent ahead if its size is anything to go by, but blocking your way are two mercenaries; a burly orc with powerful-looking arms, and a short, runt-like man dressed in fine-scale armour. They appear to be quarrelling over the best strategy for attacking the city. On seeing you approach the man points in your direction and speaks.

  “You there!” he says, spitting a glob of saliva onto the ground in between sentences. “Settle an argument. Grobnort here believes we should rush in to attack the city with a straight-up charge, whereas I think we should use a pincer movement to swarm the defences with our soon-to-be superior numbers. What are your thoughts on the matter?” Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your INTELLIGENCE, turn to 95. If the dice roll is higher than your INTELLIGENCE, turn to 310.

  30

  You successfully trace the ancient symbol made up of the various visions you have witnessed during your adventure. The runic markings on your armband vanish, and you look up to face Fagen once again.

  “You seek to use magic against me?” he says, appearing bemused. “I am a master of ancient arts! Magic will not help unless you can harness the blood of the ancients!”

  “So something descended from draconic bloodlines would do?” you ask.

  “Well yes, but-” Fagen hesitates as a shadow envelopes him from above. The cracking of stone foundations and the splintering of wood signals the arrival of the dragon Tannurat, landing upon the rooftop of the building nearest to you. He glances at you briefly before glaring at the sorcerer.

  “But this cannot be!” cries Fagen. “You work for me!”

  “No longer,” replies the dragon. “Dysidious is dead, killed by this thief, and the forces of nature, bravery, time and magic have compelled me to serve him now.” Fagen stares at you incredulously, a mask of disbelief descending over his face.

  “In that case, would you kindly dispose of this sorcerer?” you command the dragon. “Preferably before he resumes his bleating about how powerful he is.” The beast silently obeys, leaning his head down to street level and clamping his mighty jaws around the helpless Fagen. With a quick twist of the dragon's teeth and a brief shake of his head, the sorcerer splits in two, showering the roadway with blood. Turn to 145.

  31

  “You'll probably be needing my rapier then,” you reply, handing Arinzo your parrying sword. You release its shiny copper handle reluctantly as your leader glares at you. Zabel giggles with delight.

  “Where the devil were you hiding that?” asks Arinzo. “No, actually, I don't want to know. Get to your assigned rooftops. I'll meet you both on the other side of town.”

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

  32

  The tunnel slopes sharply upward for a short distance before levelling out again. Ahead you can see sunlight; finally, an exit! You slow down as you detect voices, creeping forward until you sight a man dressed in robes silhouetted against an opening leading outside. He is talking to someone who answers him in a booming voice which sends tremors through the floor.

  “How much longer must we be subjected to this busy-work?” the booming voice asks.

  “Not long, Tannurat,” says the man, whose deep voice you recognise as Fagen, the person who conversed with the warrior Dysidious earlier. “Once the dust is in the water supply, my mercenaries will stage a rescue of Ulluccus and the Mayor under the guise of town guardsmen. When they are freed, the Wizard will undoubtedly use his powers to hurl the town's water supply upon the burning buildings to extinguish the fires.”

  “And that is when your dust will take the minds of the townsfolk?”

  “Indeed. That foolish Wizard will inadvertently spread it over everything. Then the city will be ours, and you will finally be able to recover that which you seek.” The man peers out upon the landscape beyond the exit. “I must leave you now, Tannurat. Farewell.” With that, the man gracefully swirls one arm about himself before vanishing before your eyes! Turn to 180.

  33

  You grit your teeth and manage to hold down the disgusting broth. You'd swear the cook has mixed something toxic into his stew, as it plays havoc with your insides. Subtract 1 from your HEALTH. If you are still alive, the goblins and orcs witness your displeasure and laugh exuberantly, cheering and slapping you on the back as you stumble away from the fireside gathering and continue on to the far side of the encampment. Turn to 29.

  34

  You run sideways up one of the alley walls, grabbing hold of the balcony above before hauling yourself out of sight. You watch intently, trying to stay hidden, as the sorcerer makes his approach. As Fagen moves under the balcony, you listen carefully to his footsteps, trying to judge his location below you, before you finally make your leap over the railing! Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your SENSE, turn to 20. If the dice roll is higher than your SENSE, turn to 296.

  35

  You grasp the wire coil, which barely supports you as it bends under your weight. You can't help but look down as the stone gargoyle takes its first and only flight, bouncing off the edge of a balcony and plummeting to the road below. You can only hope that the streets are unoccupied. Restoring your attention back to the job at hand, you unravel enough of the wire so that the shutter moves away from the window frame, allowing you another handhold while you unfurl the rest of the makeshift latch. On closer investigation you surmise that this repair job was never meant to be removed, having been done from the outside, but this just makes it easier for you to gain entry. As the shutter slips open, you twist your body sideways to allow yourself to climb in through the opening, granting you access to the inner corridor of the clock tower. Turn to 122.

  36: His clawed feet and nasty-looking hook-and-chain weapon betray the presence of someone more sinister.

  36

  You are only a few steps away from the intersection when you detect the sound of shifting water ahead. Another soldier? Sticking to the shadows, you creep along one wall until you have a better view of the split in the tunnel ahead. Sure enough, there is somebody standing there, though they aren't dressed in armour. You'd guess this stranger was a homeless peasant by his simple tunic and grimy unkempt hair, though his clawed feet and nasty-looking hook-and-chain weapon betray the presence of someone more sinister. His searching of the wall near to the secret Guild entrance makes you suspicious. What is he looking for? Does he know where the door is located? Do you have the keyword ECHOES? If so, turn to 66. Otherwise, turn to 75.

  37

  As the flames die away, Tannurat takes a step back to admire his handiwork. If the face of such a beast could possibly contain a look of horror and disbelief, then that is the emotion you are witnessing upon Tannurat right now. You are quite surprised yourself, having been bathed in dragon fire and emerged unscathed, though you suspect the blue aura which appeared around your body, undoubtedly from the magical enchantment bestowed upon you by the Wizard Ullucus, may have played an influential part in your survival.

  “Impossible!” cries the dragon.

  “And yet, here I stand!” you retort.

  Absolutely furious at your invulnerability to his most devastating weapon, Tannurat leaps at you, intent on finishing you off with tooth and claw! Continue the battle where you left off (check section 266 if you didn't write down Tannurat's starting statistics). As soon as Tannurat inflicts any further damage upon you (and if you are still alive), turn to 85. If you defeat Tannurat without being hit again, turn to 121.

  38

  The armband fits snugly upon your arm, the quartz stones reflecting the flicker of the dull torchlight. Write down the keyword QUARTZ. You are admiring the piece when you hear Xanth whistle behind you. You turn to see him scrambling over to the cut you made in the side of the tent.

  “Quickly!” he whispers. “Guards are coming. They must have heard the fight. We must go now!” Do you agree with Xanth, and leave immediately through your infiltration point (turn to 131)
or will you risk looking at something else on the table? If you choose to do the latter, will you examine the map (turn to 379) or the knife (turn to 187)?

  39

  You slip through the left-hand doorway and traverse through another short hall before it opens out into another room. This space is cluttered with broken furniture, piled haphazardly into the corners and along each of the walls. Another doorway leads back into the central passage where the mercenaries are still conversing. It is so messy in here that you almost miss seeing the window along the left wall which has a dirty cloth draped over it like a curtain. Pulling the fabric aside, you observe a rickety-looking balcony a short distance along the outer wall. Will you attack the mercenaries from this position (turn to 302), or try sneaking out the window (turn to 330)? Alternatively, you could return to the entrance and head through the right-hand doorway instead (turn to 318).

  40

  You lift the knife from the pile of documents and are surprised when several of the papers slide off the table, having been taken by the brisk breeze flowing through the tent. As you refocus your attention back to your prize, you stare in horror as your skin begins to whither suddenly. You drop the knife, though not quickly enough to avoid being afflicted by the curse which had been bestowed upon it! Choose one of your attributes and subtract 1 from its maximum value. You are rubbing your hand, hoping to in some way dispel the evil magic which has taken hold, when you hear Xanth whistle behind you. You turn to see him scrambling over to the cut you made in the side of the tent.

  “Quickly!” he whispers. “Guards are coming. They must have heard the fight. We must go now!” Do you agree with Xanth, and leave immediately through your infiltration point (turn to 131) or will you risk looking at something else on the table? If you choose to do the latter, will you examine the map (turn to 379) or the letter (turn to 210)?

  41

  While you're not entirely positive where the weak point of a demon made of refuse might be, you decide aiming at a creature's neck is usually a safe bet. You drive your dagger into the side of the Filth-Demon's throat while plunging your short sword into the middle of its torso. The beast screams in agony, turning around while attempting to counterattack in a single motion. You roll back to evade its strike, before settling into a battle stance. You will need to finish it off via conventional means!

  FILTH-DEMON: FIGHT 8, HEALTH 4.

  If you win this battle, turn to 108.

  42

  Your lungs feel like they are on fire, but you stubbornly push on, stretching towards the light which is beckoning you forward. Your face pierces what you think is the water's surface, and you open your mouth, gulping desperately for anything other than water. You are rewarded with crisp, sweet air as you gasp down entire lungfuls at once in an attempt to recover from being underwater for so long. You feel dizzy momentarily and focus on your shivering fingertips to prevent yourself from passing out. When you finally feel recovered enough to look around at your surroundings, you find yourself inside a shallow cave with an opening leading out onto a small lake. On emerging into the sunlight, you can no longer see any sign of the dragon, and so hurriedly pull yourself from the water before making your way back to the city. Turn to 332.

  43

  You arrive on a slope directly across from the ridge and take cover within some thick foliage. This position will give you a good view of the cliff face while providing just enough shelter to hide your location from all but the most eagle-eyed sentinel. Eastwood ridge resembles a giant barrow, which looks like it was cleft in two by a world-breaking event or supreme being. One side of the terrain is a jagged cliff face featuring cascading waterfalls, while the other is a half-dome covered in trees. The latter will be the area you will head to once your comrades move beyond your firing arc, or if you run out of arrows; whichever comes first. You rummage through Zabel's quiver to see what type of projectiles she has fashioned for you:

  List of arrows:

  Regular (for killing targets, or maiming them with knee shots);

  Armour piercing (reinforced head for piercing metal);

  Popper (its head releases dyed grain; good for directing a climber or attracting attention);

  Whistler (hole carved into a headless shaft which produces a loud whistle).

  You find yourself a comfortable position and watch intently as the two thieves begin to scale the ridge; Zabel along the western side of the face, while Babin takes the east. The taller of the two shows far more grace and speed, though Babin will be more challenging to spot if there should be enemies hidden amongst the rocks. Turn to 353.

  44

  You proceed slowly over to the corner, wishing you had displayed the forethought to bring some nose plugs with you before coming down here. Against the walls, you notice the floor is raised slightly into a rounded dais, on top of which is a circular hole. Looking inside, you are disgusted to see hundreds of little centipedes writhing about in a mass. You are about to turn away when you notice something blue glinting briefly before being extinguished by the cloud of wriggling arthropods once again. Could these creatures be purposely obscuring something from your view? Will you reach your hand down into the mass of centipedes (turn to 15) or get out of this detestable room and head out of the open grate (turn to 233)?

  45

  You submerge yourself into the icy water which promptly sends a shiver rippling through your body. As you push yourself downwards, the pool turns into another tunnel, though you cannot see any air-pockets ahead. Your mind yearns for retreat as your body involuntarily begins to shudder, which makes it increasingly difficult to hold your breath. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your HEALTH, turn to 129. If the dice roll is higher than your HEALTH, then your lungs cannot stand it any longer, and you force yourself to retreat to the surface, in which case you will have little choice but to head back in the direction of the room with the iron door (turn to 249).

  46

  You try to twist away from the knife, but it moves too fast for you and cuts across your body. Subtract 1 from your HEALTH. If you are still alive, you turn back to face your enemy, only to observe it hurriedly fluttering away further into the tunnels. Coward! Continuing on cautiously, you enter a small rectangular room which smells of death. On closer examination, you discover a pile of corpses lumped into one corner; town guards if their armour is any indication. Another circular drain is the only exit out of here, so you slide on through into another more extensive tunnel. Here the path splits in two. One passage heads to your left, and you can hear something moving about in the water in that direction. Otherwise the tunnel you are currently in continues onwards and appears to also turn left further along. Will you take the left-hand passage (turn to 345) or continue to the end of the tunnel and take the second left-hand turn instead (turn to 295)?

  47

  “I don't know who that is,” says the orc, dismissing your threat. “Go away, or die.”

  “Why are you talking to this guy anyway?” the other orc asks. “Why not just kill him and be done with it? If the boss asks, we can just say he attacked first.”

  “Oh, yeah. Okay then. Let's slice him up!” Both orcs advance upon you, weapons in hand. You will need to fight both of them at the same time!

  ORC MERCENARY 1: FIGHT 6, HEALTH 3

  ORC MERCENARY 2: FIGHT 6, HEALTH 3

  If you win this battle, you immediately proceed into the building (turn to 170).

  48

  You wrap the end of the rope around your hand tightly before bracing your back against the window frame. Launching yourself forwards, you run sideways along the wall, using the line to guide your path. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your AGILITY, turn to 226. If the dice roll is higher than your AGILITY, turn to 359.

  49

  Tannurat catches you with a sweep of his tail and sends you sailing sideways into the face of a large boulder. Holding your ribs, you stagger to your feet before rolling your shoulders in a circular motion, shaking off
the hit. You ready your weapons again, standing up to your opponent defiantly.

  “Enough!” growls the dragon angrily. “It is time to finish this!” You watch as Tannurat opens his mouth, revealing a red glow steadily becoming more intense within the depths of his throat. You can only imagine the intensity of the heat building up within the dragon's body as he brings forth fiery death, bathing your body in a stream of super-heated flame. Do you have the keyword MAGIC? If so, turn to 37. Otherwise, turn to 282.

  50

  You misjudge the shot, and the arrow sails much lower than anticipated, splintering against a rock below the ledge. Turn to 395.

  51

  The building located directly beside your target appears to be a bakery, and you spy a ledge above where several sacks of grain are stacked. The ledge itself is a loading shutter, which is being held aloft by a bracket attached to the outer wall. You decide these sacks will be integral to your plan as you ready one of your throwing knives. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your AGILITY, turn to 276. If the dice roll is higher than your AGILITY, turn to 286.