The Defenders of Dusk

by Dane Barrett

  “Allow us to handle it from here,” says one of the men. The guards then set themselves into a formation, creating a shield wall to prevent further enemy insertion through the cracked foundations. You and Zabel make your way through the streets until you locate a stairway leading back 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.

  “I will stay to round up whoever is left alive among the archers,” says Zabel. “I will join you as soon as I can.” Seeing that access to the western side of the wall has now been cut off, you have little choice but to continue moving eastwards. Turn to 360.

  371

  As your shoulder makes contact with the shutter, pain spears its way through your arm and neck. You may have hit a nerve when you slammed into the wood. Subtract 1 from your HEALTH. What's worse, the window is just as sealed now as it was before you attempted the foolhardy strike. Not wishing to risk further injury against this shutter, you decide instead to continue making your way along the outside of the clock tower to find an alternative entrance (turn to 277).

  372

  The hatch isn't locked and opens easily, allowing you to slide in behind the dragon and pull yourself through to the interior. You initially feel a sense of relief wash over you, no longer being suspended from the side of a building. But once you look up to take in your new surroundings, you are shocked by what you see. Instead of finding yourself amongst the series of gears and mechanisms you would have expected to reside inside a clock face, you are instead standing upon a meadow of yellow grass. You whirl about in surprise, discovering that the entrance hatch has been replaced by the foot of a large hill. You seem to have somehow been teleported to somewhere else entirely! Not seeing any structures or landmarks from this position, you decide to climb the side of the hill to get your bearings. Instead, you stumble upon a scene which makes you halt in your tracks. Atop the hill is a gigantic rust-coloured dragon curled into a sleeping position. This beast is old, with telltale scars and broken scales, revealing this to be a war dragon of many campaigns. It doesn't stir at your approach but instead continues to take shallow breaths in its slumber. Alongside the dragon is a grave with a cross embedded into the soil. Something hangs from the cross. Will you creep forward to investigate the grave (turn to 127) or retreat back down the hill, away from the dragon (turn to 338)?

  373

  You realise that the hidden stairs are mostly in linear formation and located directly below a rocky overhang. Preparing one of the heavy armour-piercing arrows, you shoot it in a high arc so that it eventually impacts that same overhang. The powerful metal-piercing head shatters the rocks, creating a sea of rolling stones down the hidden steps. The three guards panic as they lose their footing, tumbling downwards until they depart the steps altogether, plummeting to their doom below. Your job done, and with both thieves out of sight, you prepare to pack up your things to begin your trek along the western path around the ridge. You are halted momentarily as you spy movement again, this time higher up on the cliff face. Zabel has re-emerged upon another hidden ledge, having followed her cave all the way to another exit. You watch as Zabel kneels to examine something out of sight, but while she is doing so you are horrified to see another guard approaching, and this one is about seven feet tall and built like a boulder! Zabel is a skilled fighter but suffers from having a slight build. She may not be able to handle this enormous man alone! Even worse, she is currently facing away from him and hasn't noticed his arrival! There might be a way to give Zabel an advantage in this situation. To find out if you can think of it, roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your INTELLIGENCE, turn to 113. If the dice roll is higher than your INTELLIGENCE, then you have no choice but to shoot at the guard with regular arrows. Turn to 55.

  374

  Replacing accuracy with haste, you shoot several whistlers in and around the steps below where the guards are ascending. At first, all of them turn to look for the source of the noise, but to your dismay, the lower of the three men signals for the others to continue while he investigates the whistlers alone. By the time you have selected a regular arrow and sent it soaring into the chest of the third guard, killing him, the other two have disappeared from sight. Write down the keyword TAIL. With nothing more you can do, and with both thieves out of sight, you prepare to pack up your things to begin your trek along the western path around the ridge. You are halted momentarily as you spy movement again, this time higher up on the cliff face. Zabel has re-emerged upon another hidden ledge, having followed her cave all the way to another exit. You watch as Zabel kneels to examine something out of sight, but while she is doing so you are horrified to see another guard approaching, and this one is about seven feet tall and built like a boulder! Zabel is a skilled fighter but suffers from having a slight build. She may not be able to handle this enormous man alone! Even worse, she is currently facing away from him and hasn't noticed his arrival! There might be a way to give Zabel an advantage in this situation. To find out if you can think of it, roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your INTELLIGENCE, turn to 113. If the dice roll is higher than your INTELLIGENCE, then you have no choice but to shoot at the guard with regular arrows. Turn to 55.

  375

  As you finish off the last of the guards, you are dismayed to see three more approaching, having detected the initial fight and subsequently rushed to the aid of their comrades! Being that the guardhouse has too many openings along its sides to provide adequate cover from anything other than rainfall, you step outside to face the incoming attackers. You will have to fight them all at the same time!

  ORC PATROLLER: FIGHT 6, HEALTH 3

  ORC GUARD: FIGHT 6, HEALTH 3

  GOBLIN GUARD: FIGHT 5, HEALTH 3

  If you win this battle, turn to 149.

  376

  It's too far, you think to yourself, but also too late to turn back. You scramble against the walls of the tunnel for a few seconds before your body gives in, and you involuntarily gasp for air that isn't there. Your lungs fill with liquid as your mind causes your limbs to thrash about uncontrollably until peace finally comes, and your still form drifts silently in the water. Your only satisfaction in drowning is that it is a far less painful way to go than being burned alive with dragonfire. Your adventure ends here.

  377

  You emerge into a poorly-lit room with the only source of light being from a broken wall which exposes the interior to the outside; actually, more like a broken roof, as this low-set enclosure is effectively an attic. Rubbish is plentiful, with discarded papers and food waste prevalent. Does something live up here? Once your eyes adjust to the dark, you spy the motionless form of a man laying upon the floor in chains. You rush up to the figure and, turning it over, discover a living but wounded Arinzo. As his eyes focus with recognition of who you are, they also widen with desperation. Before you can unchain him to ask him what happened, you are grabbed from behind, lifted and thrown through the air, landing solidly against one of the walls. Subtract 2 from your HEALTH. If you are still alive, continue reading. As you land on the floor amidst a cascade of roof dust, you look up to identify your assailant. At first, you think it is a golem made of clay until you realise it is absorbing all of the refuse and dirt from the floor and walls to increase its body mass. What you face before you is a FILTH-DEMON, and you have little choice but to fight it!

  FILTH-DEMON: FIGHT 8, HEALTH 6.

  If you win this battle, turn to 108.

  378

  As you are about to be impaled upon the broken wood, a flaming arrow suddenly pierces the head of the Filth-Demon. The creature releases you, grasping at its head wound as the flames begin to ignite the refuse the demon has built around its body. Glancing out of the hole in the ceiling, you spot Zabel standing upon the roof of the opposite building, having lit one of her arrows from some nearby flames which you can now see are finally spreading into the peasant quarter. Taking advantage of this opportunity,
you plant a stiff kick into the Filth-Demon's torso, knocking it through the opening in the roof. You watch as the monster plummets to the street below, splitting apart into a multitude of garbage as it hits the ground. Returning to Arinzo and lifting his arm around your shoulder to support his weight, you make your way hurriedly out of the building as the city fires begin to finally light up the peasant's quarter. Turn to 246.

  379

  The map displays a crude charcoal drawing of the city, the surrounding wilderness and the roads leading in and around it. Also shown in greater detail are the bridge and the river over which it sits. Of particular interest is a series of inked markings pinpointing locations upriver. Several of the wooden blocks, which represent units of troops, are positioned alongside arrows pointing across one of the northern bends. You realise that while the city has been preoccupied with retaking this bridge and putting out the fires, the enemy must have been planning to cross the river to the north. This would allow them to bring a flanking force down upon the city's northern wall! Write down the keyword PLAN. You are in the middle of making a mental note of the troop positions when you hear footsteps approaching the main entrance. You have no choice but to take your leave, departing hurriedly through the cut you made in the side of the tent. Turn to 131.

  380

  You can tell from the torchlight bouncing off the walls, increasing in its reddish-orange intensity, that the soldier ahead is making his way straight towards your current position. Peering about hurriedly, you observe a shallow alcove nearby filled with wet mud. You duck into this spot seconds before the soldier rounds the corner ahead, evidenced by the reflection of his torch beaming across the water. You lather some of the mud over your exposed skin and clothing and then lay down in the alcove, hoping to become just another uninteresting mound of sewage. The soldier finally makes his way past your hiding place and pauses for a moment to shine his torch right over you. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your SENSE, turn to 147. If the dice roll is higher than your SENSE, turn to 293.

  381

  You deflect one of the Wight General's attacks with your parrying rapier and swiftly drive your longsword blade through its ribcage. Any thoughts of victory are short-lived, however, as the hit appears to have had no noticeable effect on your opponent! The Wight twists its body around, wrenching your sword away from your grip. It draws the weapon out of its chest and tosses it into one of the straw-filled boxes before raising its arms into the air. You are shocked and dismayed when the straw within several of the crates separates to reveal skeletons armed with short swords, which have been lying dormant while awaiting their master's call! You step back with your rapier at the ready, but also with the knowledge that the odds on you winning this are no longer in your favour. Suddenly, just as the skeletons begin advancing on your position, another figure emerges from the tent's entrance flap. You immediately recognise Xanth, your comrade and the spy who infiltrated this enemy camp before your arrival.

  “Use this!” he shouts and tosses you a metallic shaft. On catching it, you recognise the item to be a silver candlestick which has been sharpened at the tip. Of course, you think to yourself. Silver has been known to be effective against certain types of undead creatures! Xanth leaps forward to help, leaving two skeletons for you to fight. The Wight General takes a step back to watch the battle unfold!

  SKELETON 1: FIGHT 6, HEALTH 3

  SKELETON 2: FIGHT 5, HEALTH 4

  If you defeat the skeletons, the Wight General will step forward to continue the battle.

  WIGHT GENERAL: FIGHT 10, HEALTH 6

  Reminder: 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).

  If you win this battle, turn to 158.

  382

  Stepping into the light, you hurry towards the three guards as quickly as you can while still trying to remain unnoticed. The bowman, a goblin, spots you as you reach the halfway point of the hall, and quickly notches an arrow, aiming it in your direction. Suddenly, from somewhere to the left of the mercenaries, another arrow, much longer and more refined than those used by your enemies, pierces right through the goblin's neck, killing it instantly. You hear a commotion on the roof above, and realise that Zabel must have loosed the arrow and given away her position. Cross off the keyword EAGLE (you no longer have this keyword). As confusion reigns among the remaining guards, you take the opportunity to bound forwards, sword in hand, to attack them!

  ORC MERCENARY: FIGHT 6, HEALTH 3

  GOBLIN MERCENARY: FIGHT 5, HEALTH 3

  If you win this battle, turn to 138.

  383

  The passage opens out into a cavern; not a room in the traditional sense, but an actual cave which looks to have been naturally formed over time. The water is much deeper here as the floor drops down, and you soon find your waist encompassed in a blanket of cold. There is a grill upon the far wall leading into a crawlspace, but it is choked with thick vegetation along with a gnarled root system belonging to a tree above ground. There doesn't appear to be any exits out of this room other than that which you entered from. Do you wish to explore the far wall anyway (turn to 255) or turn around and head back to the room with the iron door (turn to 249)?

  384

  It takes a few minutes to locate your horse which ran off into a copse of trees shortly after the fight began. The woodland animals eventually wander back to where they came from, leaving you to face the stag alone. It approaches you fearlessly and licks the back of your hand, before turning and bolting away into the nearby foliage. A warmth passes through your body as the animal disappears from view. Raise your maximum HEALTH by 1 point, and then restore your current HEALTH back up to its new maximum value. Mounting your horse, you gallop back to the city of Dusk and on arriving notice that two great ballistae have now been positioned on each of the north-facing towers. Ullucus' rainfall has also finally ceased, the city fires having all been extinguished. The guards open the gates to allow your entry before sealing them again with thick wooden beams to brace them. You spy a gathering outside the Town Hall and ride over to find Captain Jadu, Arinzo and the Wizard Ullucus having a meeting. All are dressed in their finest battle garb.

  “What kept you?” asks the Wizard as you dismount.

  “I doubt you'd believe me,” you reply. “Remind me to thank you later for the fire protection ward, though.”

  “The time for stealth is over for us, I fear,” Arinzo tells you. “You will join Zabel and the archers in defence of the upper wall. Our enemy will attack with ladders, troops and from what Zabel told us, giant lizards. The guards have built two great ballistae to take care of the reptiles, while hot oil is being prepared at the wall's centre should they attempt to scale it. Otherwise, we can but knock back their ladders and fight to the last.”

  “It sounds as good a plan as any,” you remark. “Shall I head up there now?”

  “Aye,” replies Captain Jadu. “Good fortunes, my friend.” Turn to 156.

  385

  As you are about to make your way across the courtyard, Zabel suddenly appears between two small wooden structures on your right side. She smiles and signals that she will attempt to lead the guards away from your position. Zabel drags her fingernails across a piece of wood, creating an unpleasant sound which makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Her plan partially works as two of the Gekkas walk over to the structures to investigate. This leaves you just the one Gekka guard to dodge on the left side of the yard, who is currently looking away from your location but is close enough to hear you should you make too much noise. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your AGILITY, turn to 120. If it is higher than your AGILITY, then the guard will spot your movements as you duck in and out of cover (turn to 150).

  386

  The armband fits snugly around your arm, the quartz stones reflecting the flicker of the d
ull torchlight. Write down the keyword QUARTZ. Without further delay, you hurriedly leave through your infiltration point (turn to 131).

  387

  You explain to the Wizard how you helped destroy the leader of the enemy forces at the bridge, sending them into disarray, but that you were too late to prevent the deployment of the mind control dust into the city's underground river.

  “You have done good work out there, my friend,” Ullucus says, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “Alas, I feel you should not have waited so long to rescue us, that my betrayal would not be necessary.” Unsure what the Wizard is alluding to, you attempt to step away from him but find yourself unable to move. Your breathing quickens as you realise your body has been paralysed! You watch helplessly as the Mayor and his personal guards draw hidden blades concealed within their clothing and commence with the treacherous task of murdering the other unsuspecting members of the Thieve's Guild. Once all of your friends are dead, the Wizard turns his attention back to you. “We have already drunken of the tainted waters of which you speak, and must now work to spread it through the rest of this doomed city. You even saved our master the trouble of staging our rescue. The loss of the bridge is unfortunate, but with my magic, I'm sure we will regain control soon. Thank you for your help, thief, in dooming the City of Dusk.” The situation is now hopeless, and you can do nothing as the Wizard plunges a knife into your neck, putting you out of your misery. Your adventure ends here.