by Dane Barrett
282
As the fire rips into your body, your first thought turns to the anticipation of the terrible pain that is supposedly experienced when one is burned alive. Your fear is needless, however, as the impact of the jet of fire flays both the skin and nerves from your body, and you end up feeling nothing at all as you are incinerated into ashes. Your adventure ends here.
283
The spear soars through the air but sails wide, only grazing the Gekka leader, who turns to look in your direction with a countenance of fury. Summoning two of its troops to its side, the Gekka charges at you just as you manage to recover your longsword from its scabbard. You must fight all three at once!
GEKKA LEADER: FIGHT 9, HEALTH 4
GEKKA SLICER: FIGHT 8, HEALTH 4
GEKKA BRUISER: FIGHT 7, HEALTH 4
If you defeat all three opponents, 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.
284
You aim the whistler so that it will fly past the orc guards to the opposite side of the yard; a short distance away to avoid being identified as an arrow, but close enough for them to hear it. You let loose, and as the thin shaft whizzes by, it immediately attracts the attention of both orcs. They don't move from their location, but instead simply turn to look for the source of the noise. You won't have much of a window to sneak behind them. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your AGILITY, turn to 343. If the dice roll is higher than your AGILITY, then one of the guards detects your presence before you make it into the tunnel (turn to 150).
285
You lift the bottle of mead into the air and stagger about, slurring out some nonsensical gibberish while trying to sound as much like an orc as possible. After the guard stares at you intently for a few seconds, you begin to have doubts about whether your ruse has succeeded. To emphasize the point of your drunken act, you release the bottle of mead so that it falls to the ground at the orc's feet, smashing into pieces, and then you duck down to make a retching sound as if you're being sick. The orc guard finally whirls about in disgust and walks off, moaning all the while about lazy sentries not being able to hold their liquor. Letting out a sigh of relief, you step away from the window and toss the helmet back onto the corpse of the orc. With the sentry out of the way, you must now return to ground level and decide where to go next within the courtyard ahead. Will you head down the left side (turn to 188) or along the right side (turn to 347)?
286
Your knife throw is slightly off-target, and instead of cutting across one of the sacks, you instead hit the shutter bracket, breaking it in two. The ledge collapses, dropping the sacks of grain down onto the ground with a resounding thud. While this draws the attention of the guards, it also makes them wary of neglecting their duty, and instead of being distracted, one orc begins to scan the surrounding area, looking for trouble.
“There!” it shouts, spying you hiding behind the cart. The orcs draw short blades from their belts and quickly advance on your position. You will have to fight them both 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).
287
As your vision clears, you are suddenly back in the sewer tunnels, though not in a passageway you have visited previously. Instead, you find yourself near a droplet-shaped dead-end which terminates in a raised dais, upon which the stone is cracked, revealing a torrent of water below. Though you have no idea how you got here, you have found an access point to the underground river, and the city's primary source of clean water! Do you have either of the keywords CLEAN or DEAD (or both)? If so, turn to 179. If you have neither of these keywords, turn to 98.
288: His wiry, rotting arms end in deadly clawed fingers and his previously majestic armour is in tatters.
288
You sneak up to the wall of the tent, away from the main entrance flap, and use your dagger to cut through the fabric to create a makeshift infiltration point. Slipping inside, you hide behind two large storage boxes filled with straw. Beyond those, illuminated by a dull torchlight flickering in a brisk breeze, you spy the mercenary leader facing away from you, bent over a table littered with various papers. One particularly long piece of parchment is laid out over the tabletop and weighed down with hammers, while little wooden markers sit upon a roughly-drawn map. Battle plans, you think. As you move to unsheathe your blades, the leader appears to sense something and turns around slowly to face your hiding place. Your eyes widen as you observe something which was once a man, but is now nothing more than an undead fiend! His face is almost skeletal and looms out from thin, grimy hair. His wiry, rotting arms end in deadly clawed fingers and his previously majestic armour is in tatters. He points at you and hisses, and you realise that any opportunity to launch a surprise attack is gone. You must fight this creature face-to-face!
WIGHT GENERAL: FIGHT 10, HEALTH 6
Note: A Wight will drain your life force by touch, so for every three hits you receive from this creature, you must subtract 1 from the maximum value of any one of your attributes (you choose which attribute is affected).
As soon as you land your first successful hit upon this opponent, turn to 381.
289
You take a tentative step out from behind the pile of clothing, your eyes watchful of the attention of the guards as you move. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your AGILITY, turn to 358. If the dice roll is higher than your AGILITY, turn to 117.
290
The gate's sturdy lock is newly-made and has an advanced mechanism, proving a challenge to pick for even the nimblest of fingers. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your AGILITY, turn to 169. If the dice roll is higher than your AGILITY, then the lock is beyond your level of skill, leaving you no choice but to climb over the gate (turn to 28).
291
Your endurance fails you, and the cauldron tips sideways as you are attempting to tilt it over the parapet. Oil spills both down the outer wall but also within the battlements, forcing the archers to take a few steps back to avoid slipping upon the boiling hot surface. This gives the enemy climbers just the time they need to make the top of the wall, and you watch in disdain as several orcs launch themselves over the oil spill to do battle. You must take on three of them at the same time!
ORC FLAILMAN: FIGHT 6, HEALTH 3
ORC SWORDSMAN: FIGHT 6, HEALTH 3
ORC AXEMAN: FIGHT 6, HEALTH 3
If you manage to defeat all three, then you quickly assist Zabel and the rest of the archers in disposing of their opponents. Add 10 to your RESISTANCE points. Zabel slaps you hard on the chest to signify her pleasure at having knocked back the enemy forces for now, and picks up her bow, resuming her role as an archer. As you wipe the sweat away from your brow, you watch as a trebuchet boulder sails over the eastern battlements, hitting and collapsing a building beyond the wall. You can also hear the sounds of a fierce battle to the west. Will you leave the archers and head west (turn to 110) or head east (turn to 128)?
292
You arrive at the central parapet to discover it is no longer there! A trebuchet rock has impacted the foundations and collapsed much of the middle section of the wall. Glancing down below you can see several Gekka shock troops clashing with a formation of city guardsmen who have created a shield wall to hold back their enemies. You also notice a few dead archers here and there but can see no sign of Zabel. You don't see much logic in returning to the western side of the wall right now, so you turn your mind to traversing this gap. You could try to jump over it, though you're unsure the stone
is stable enough on the other side to hold your weight. Another option would be to backtrack and descend one of the inner staircases, eventually making your way along the city streets until you can find a way up the eastern wall. Will you attempt to jump the gap (turn to 6) or head eastwards via the roads (turn to 10)?
293
You squint as the light of the soldier's torch almost blinds you as he explores the alcove. Suddenly, he gasps and then takes a step back to ready his weapon. You realise that by keeping your eyes open, the torchlight must have reflected off them, giving you away! You now have no choice but to fight this man!
ENEMY SOLDIER: FIGHT 7, HEALTH 3
If you win this fight, you wash away some of the mud from your person before continuing on towards the intersection where you know you will find the entrance to the Thieves Guild. If you have already, write down the keyword ECHOES and turn to 36.
294
Using a boot to promote momentum, you push yourself towards the window frame. The gargoyle gives under the pressure and snaps away from the wall, disrupting your balance! Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your AGILITY, turn to 35. If the dice roll is higher than your AGILITY, turn to 327.
295
The tunnel makes a left turn when you reach its end, and only now do you see that it curves around in a long arc. You follow it all the way, sensing that you may now be heading back in the general direction you entered from until you spy a dead-end ahead. Also waiting for you is the flying rat-thing which attacked you earlier. You draw your sword, ready to do battle, only for the annoying little gremlin to laugh maniacally before tossing another throwing knife at you. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your AGILITY, turn to 137. If the dice roll is higher than your AGILITY, turn to 313.
296
As you leap from the balcony, the sorcerer peers upwards and spots your approach! With a wave of his hand, he sends a flow of strong wind straight into you, pushing you back until you collide solidly with the wall behind you. Subtract 1 from your HEALTH. If you are still alive, and before Fagen can follow up his attack with more magic, you roll sideways out of the alley and hurriedly run down the next street until you are sure that you are out of his sight.
“You fool!” you hear Fagen calling out from somewhere behind you. “Above, below, behind; I will find and defeat you no matter which direction you approach me from!”
Taking stock of your surroundings, you quickly look around trying to find another way to ambush the sorcerer.
Will you attempt to surprise him around an alley corner (turn to 146),
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)?
297
You have walked right into a deathtrap! Goblins have used ladders to swarm this part of the wall, mounting the battlements and using their short bows to mow down all of their opponents before they could get close to them. Even Xanth has fallen, his body lying in a pool of blood which drips enthusiastically from the inner platform of the parapet. As the goblins spot you, they bring their bows to bear and send a volley of arrows in your direction. You do well to deflect, dodge and cut away a good number of the missiles before they inevitably penetrate your defence. With several arrow shafts embedded deeply into your chest and throat, you fall to your knees before receiving one last arrow aimed straight at your temple. Your adventure ends here.
298
“What's happening?” you ask Zabel as you return to the central section of the northern wall. She guides you over to the cover of one of the battlements near the platform leading to the eastern parapet.
“Keep your head down,” she says. “The enemy trebuchets have worked out their range and have been pelting our position repeatedly with rocks. If this continues for much longer, we may need to move, leaving this parapet unguarded.”
“Look out!” shouts one of the archers, cupping hands around his mouth to make his voice carry. “There's another barrage on the way!” Everyone takes cover as best they can as massive rocks rain down upon the wall. Some of the missiles split apart on impact, sending dangerous shards of stone spiralling through the defenders, knocking people down and shattering bones. Suddenly, one massive rock casts its immense shadow over you before plunging down directly into the middle of the wall. The stone foundations split apart, and the parapet, battlements and floor collapse, crumbling into a rolling slope of debris. While you manage to keep your own feet on firm ground, the floor beneath Zabel seemingly vanishes, leaving gravity to pull her down into the broken depths. You leap desperately with your arm outstretched, trying to grab her hand before she disappears into the cloud of dust engulfing the wall. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your AGILITY, turn to 77. If the dice roll is higher than your AGILITY, turn to 370.
299: Peering at the band, you watch as symbols
form upon its metal plating.
299
You lift the golden whistle hanging around your neck and, placing it against your lips, you blow upon it. Though no sound emanates from the little device, your armband tightens slightly and begins to glow with a magical aura. Peering at the band, you watch as symbols form upon its metal plating; runes both ancient and scarred as if they had been there the entire time, though invisible. You think back to all you have learned and must trace the magical symbol with which to activate the immense power at your disposal. There is a number hidden upon your armband (see associated image). If you figure out what it is, multiply that number by 10 and turn to that number now. If you are unable to figure out what the number is, turn to 215.
300
With one final effort, you push yourself up to the top of the gate, grasping the upper frame to pull yourself over to the other side. An unexpected sensation of pain ripples through the palms of your hands and you notice blood flowing down the iron bars. You lift up one of your arms and can see that the top-most section of the gate has been sharpened to a razor edge! You clamber over the obstacle as quickly as you can, attempting to avoid cutting yourself further, and once you've landed safely on the other side, you take stock of your injuries. Your hands have been sliced severely, with blood now soaking through your sleeves. You rapidly tear pieces of cloth from your under-tunic and wrap them around your palms to stem the bleeding. Subtract 2 from your HEALTH. If you are still alive, you silently curse your misfortune before moving on to the next part of the platform. By the sounds of the shouting and laughter above, you are now passing directly beneath the centre of the enemy encampment. Turn to 242.
301
You have only travelled a few feet further when the walkway slopes sharply upwards and terminates, forcing you to traverse over to the main bridge. Right in front of you is a square makeshift guardhouse, constructed from damp wood with openings cut into all four sides so that the occupants can keep watch. There appear to be two orc guards inside, who periodically glance out of each of the windows. Peeking about for an alternative way past this emplacement, you spy a chain hanging down from the upper structural beams. If you climb it, you may be able to walk above the guardhouse unseen, but you are worried about how slick the chain might be from being exposed to the outer elements. Will you attempt to sneak past the guardhouse (turn to 328), try to surprise the guards with an attack (turn to 320) or climb the chain (turn to 184)?
302
With your short sword tightly gripped in one hand, you lunge out of the side room, driving your blade through the neck of the tallest hallway guard. As he topples over, coughing blood across the floor in his death throes, one mercenary, a goblin bowman, drops his ranged weapon, replacing it instead with a short blade. His friend, another goblin, also brings a sword to bear as they both face off against you. You must fight these two at the same time!
GOBLIN MERCENARY: FIGHT 5, HEALTH 3
GOBLIN BOWMAN: FIGHT 4, HEALTH 4
If you win thi
s battle, turn to 138.
303
A few hours pass, enough for you to get a small amount of sleep, before the men stationed upon the ballista towers sight the first of the enemy forces. You can hear Captain Jadu's voice somewhere along the eastern section of the wall performing an inspirational speech for his men, as you stare out through the battlements to the force amassing below. You've seen it all before during your scouting mission, of course; the same foot soldiers, the same trebuchets and the same giant lizards laden with thick leather saddles with riders atop them. They have a more daunting appearance to them now, though, walking in their formations and approaching your home with ill intentions.
“Nock!” calls out the leader of the archers, and you prepare the first of your arrows.
