The Plague Lords of Ruel

by Joe Dever

  If you refuse to enter the door, turn to 162.

  269

  With all your strength you resist the terrible power that is sucking you towards its heart. In desperation you call upon the Gods Kai and Ishir to aid you, and as if in response to your prayers, you sense yourself rising as the swirling vortex begins to recede. A terrible pain wracks your mind and body (lose 5 ENDURANCE points) but it does not break your will to survive this supernatural ordeal.

  Then, abruptly, the swirling funnel evaporates and you find yourself on your hands and knees, breathless and shivering, staring at the cold stone floor of Cadak's throne room. Slowly you rise to your feet; then a faint sound behind warns you that someone or something is moving about in the antechamber.

  Turn to 222.

  270

  Using your Magnakai skill of Nexus, you cause several of the boxes and sacks to fall from the rear of the wagon. They splinter and tear open, spilling foul-smelling foodstuffs which immediately incite the hungry females to rush forward once more. In the ensuing chaos you leave your hiding place and attempt to escape unseen through the portal.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have Grand Mastery of Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have chosen.

  If your total score is now 4 or less, turn to 169.

  If it is 5 or more, turn to 14.

  271

  The west passage continues for several hundred yards before ending at a heavy oak door. As you approach it you can sense an evil at work somewhere beyond, and the stench of its corruption stirs your anger.

  With weapon in hand you run at the door and give it a mighty kick, sending it crashing open. With ease you have gained access to the chamber beyond, but you are stunned by the awful sight which greets your eyes.

  Turn to 290.

  272

  Your psychic defences buckle under the sudden onslaught and a wave of red-hot pain sweeps unchecked through your mind: lose 5 ENDURANCE points.

  Almost immediately you muster your psychic Magnakai skills and the pain melts away, but the attack leaves you shivering with psychic shock. Seeing a slender advantage, the druid acts quickly to exploit it. He draws a dagger from inside his robes and hurls himself forward in a desperate attempt to drive it into your heart.

  Cener Druid: COMBAT SKILL 23 ENDURANCE 27

  Owing to the speed and desperation of his attack, reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 20 points for the first round of this combat only.

  If you win the fight, turn to 4.

  273

  You strike and sever the plant-like tendril, but immediately there is another, and then another. With the speed of striking snakes they ensnare your legs and wrench you into the morass. Desperately you fight to free yourself as you are dragged deeper into the foul-smelling mire. Repeatedly you strike out below the surface, in the hope of dealing your attacker a mortal wound, and you feel something burst upon your weapon's tip. Momentarily, the creature's grip falters, but only to recover with renewed strength and tenacity.

  Then sharp pain lances through your thighs as row upon row of barbed claws spring out from the unseen creature's tendrils and puncture your skin. You scream in agony and your cry is echoed from beneath the surface of the bog pool by the sound of a malicious, bubbling laugh.

  If you possess Animal Mastery, turn to 339.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 47.

  274

  As the smoke from the explosion clears, you see a jagged, flame-blackened hole where once there had been a lock. You kick the door and it creaks open, allowing you to enter the hall which lies beyond.

  Turn to 78.

  275

  No matter how hard you try you cannot prise the chain from its mounting; you need to use a longer weapon in order to exert more leverage on the pin. Looking around you see nothing that can aid you, but then the image of the ideal object springs into your mind and you rush to the platform's edge. Below you, lying on the first platform, you see one of the slain Acolyte's spears.

  Swiftly you grab hold of the ladder and begin a hurried descent. As you leap the last few feet to the platform you are confronted by the first of the Vazhag archers. A kick to the snout sends this slavering rat-man tumbling to his doom, but no sooner has he disappeared than another pops up to take his place. You draw your weapon and steel yourself for combat as the Vazhag comes leaping from the ladder with a knife held ready to cut you down.

  Vazhag archer: COMBAT SKILL 22 ENDURANCE 21

  If you win the combat, turn to 161.

  276

  Suddenly the Vazhag stops snoring and the silence freezes you in your tracks. The creature prises open its beady eyes, caked with dried sweat, and its whiskered nose sniffs the air suspiciously. Then, as if suddenly electrified, the pudgy rat-man rolls off the divan and reaches with its paw for something hidden beneath the fur covers. You decide to make an escape and pull at the secret door, but it will not open. Somehow the Vazhag has locked it.

  You turn to face the nervous creature, your hand on the hilt of your weapon as you advance threateningly. In response it darts towards a corner of the chamber and huddles there, shivering with fright. But before you can reach the Vazhag and pull it to its feet, there is the sound of heavy footfalls and suddenly something comes bursting through the curtained archway.

  Before you now stands a gigantic dog-like creature with fiery red eyes. Its shiny blue-black hide ripples over a muscular frame and a huge crocodile-like jaw protrudes from its cruel, canine face. It is sleek and powerful, yet, as it draws nearer, you see that its hide is pitted and scarred by a virulent disease.

  If you possess a Bow and Arrow and wish to use them, turn to 187.

  If you do not, turn to 45.

  277

  Instinct alone prompts you to take a chunk of the fungi from your Backpack and swallow it whole. Within seconds of consuming the tinder-dry flesh you feel a core of resurgent strength welling deep within your chest. Your spore-choked lungs burn no longer and you can breathe once more with ease.

  Immune to the insidious effects of the spore-cloud you battle your way through the tunnel to a clearer section several hundred yards beyond. Aided by a fungus from another world, you have survived an encounter with a colony of deadly khloros spores. Few can claim as much!

  Turn to 79.

  278

  Arrows ricochet from the iron rungs and pass perilously close to your legs, but your agility and the speed of your ascent save you from being hit. Undaunted by the barrage, you continue climbing towards the winch with increased determination.

  Turn to 103.

  279

  You clamber out of the derelict hut and run towards a narrow gap in the trees. A thorny corridor lies beyond it, leading away into darkness. With the fanatical shrieks of the Vazhag echoing in your ears, you muster your courage and leap into the gap.

  If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Assimilance, turn to 190.

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

  280

  Once inside, you close the door gently and breathe a sigh of relief. You find yourself alone in a small room which reeks of a heady mixture of incense and sulphur. Scarlet robes line the walls, hanging from wooden pegs driven into the crumbling plaster, and upon a solitary table are heaped a pile of green masks, fashioned from a glass-like mineral.

  If you possess a Cener Robe and a Cener Mask, turn to 126.

  If you possess neither (or only one) of these items, turn to 304.

  281

  The creature finally overcomes your will and, in that instant, you see its eyes widen with fearful recognition. Then you notice its bony hand is gliding rapidly towards an alarm button which protrudes from the side of its desk. You advance towards the desk but it is too late: the button has been pressed.

  Turn to 11.

  282

  The Vazhag's eyes widen in alarm when it sees you approaching. It opens its mouth as if to scream, but a sharp blow to the side of its neck with the edge of
your hand renders it instantly unconscious. You are about to search its pockets when a faint scrabbling sound warns you that the pit creature is on the prowl. Rather than face that nameless horror, you hurry across the chamber to the secret door and make a hasty escape.

  Turn to 308.

  283

  You hit the surface with a mighty splash and sink like a stone. Foul fluids fill your nose and mouth, causing you to cough and retch as you struggle to rise to the surface. You are submerged in a deadly cocktail of acids and toxic wastes from the dungeons of Mogaruith and, were it not for your Magnakai Disciplines of Nexus and Curing, you would have perished within seconds of entering the moat.

  The Vazhag on the battlements are squealing in triumph for they are certain that you have jumped to your doom. They leave the wall and return to their duties for, in their experience, no living thing has ever survived a dip in the moat. When you do break the surface and strike out for the bank, you do so unseen. It is not until you are pulling yourself out of the moat that your luck suddenly fails you.

  You are spotted by a group of three Vazhag returning from battle. Two are armed with spears and they face you on foot, but the third sits astride a captured Slovian steed. It is wielding a cavalry lance and you can tell by the way the rat-man balances it that it is skilled in its use. The two spear-wielders squeal their battle-cry and attack you simultaneously. However, this cry is quickly transformed into a duet of pain when you strike out and kill them instantly. They drop to the ground and almost immediately the rider is upon you, jabbing at your chest with the tip of its lance. You duck the first thrust, and steady yourself to meet the second as the Vazhag lancer turns and bears down on you once more.

  Illustration XVII—You are spotted by a Vazhag returning from battle, sitting astride a captured Slovian steed.

  Vazhag lancer: COMBAT SKILL 32 ENDURANCE 20

  If you win this combat, turn to 113.

  284

  Beyond the narrow opening you discover a dusty passage sandwiched between two walls of rough, unyielding stone. Worm casts and a myriad animal tracks mark the surface of the dirt floor, revealing at once to your expert eye that no creature larger than a domestic cat has trodden the floor of this passage in the past three months. Confidently you explore and, unhindered by the darkness, you experience no difficulty in following its sinuous course towards the heart of the Skardos Mountains.

  You have been walking for two miles before you reach a junction where a wider tunnel leads away, both to the east and the west. Unlike the passage, this tunnel has been excavated from the rock and its walls still bear the scars of shovels and picks. Your Magnakai sense of Divination reveals no imminent dangers and your Pathsmanship can detect no unusual tracks.

  If you possess Grand Huntmastery, turn to 49.

  If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline, you can investigate the east tunnel by turning to 118.

  Or you can investigate the west tunnel by turning to 189.

  285

  Silently, like a cat, you pad along the corridor towards a distant light. The promise of finding a laboratory has raised your hopes of a swift victory for perhaps it is here that you will find the Cenerese crafting their evil diseases.

  The entrance to the laboratory is unguarded, so you slip inside its open door and hide behind one of the many stone pillars that support a cavernous roof. At the centre of the chamber you see two robed figures huddled over a stone table. Surrounding them are wooden racks filled with strange implements, scrolls, books, jars, and other paraphernalia. They appear to be tending to a large frog-like creature which lies spread-eagled upon the table, its limbs secured by coarse ropes. It is not until you are two steps away from the table that you recognize the creature to be a sloat — a beast of burden much used to tow barges along the River Storn. Your stomach churns when you see that the poor creature is being dissected whilst alive and conscious.

  If you have ever visited the town of Quarlen or the ruins of Maaken in a previous Lone Wolf adventure, turn to 109.

  If you have never been to either of these locations, turn to 247.

  286

  The instant you slay the last creature an eerie silence envelops the site. The howling horde have ceased their dreadful caterwauling and now their mindless faces contort with sorrow as they stare at the sundered remains of the pit beasts, twitching and convulsing in the last throes of death.

  You spin around to face the horde, your steely gaze taunting them to approach you if they dare. But none possesses the will to continue and slowly, one by one, they turn and melt away into the surrounding trees, like phantoms into a mist. Lying on the gore-stained ground close to the pit's edge, you notice a coil of fine copper chain. You pick it up and, in doing so, discover that it is attached to a key embedded in the mud. You can sense no aura of evil surrounding this key, and its cut and crude markings tell you nothing about its origins.

  If you wish to keep this Copper Key, remember to record it on your Action Chart as a Backpack Item.

  You leave the pits and hurry on your way along the leafy tunnel. For several miles you progress in a near-darkness that is broken only by a few scattered rays of grey light creeping through the ceiling above. At length the tunnel ends and you emerge into a clearing where stand the derelict remains of an ancient stone dwelling. You approach it warily, sensing the presence of magic, yet inside its shattered walls you find nothing but mould and clumps of sickly black grass. Then your skills of divination tingle afresh as the presentiment of sorcery increases. Suddenly you realize that the source is not here in this ruined hut: it is approaching the hut.

  Through a crack in the stones you see a gap appear in the wall of trees opposite and a group of Vazhag enter the clearing, their ratty faces sniffing at the heavy, humid air. Among their number is one who is not of their breed. He is human in size and stature, though his hooded scarlet robes make it difficult to be sure. For a moment you catch a glimpse of the glassy green mask covering his face and at once you know that this being is a Cener Druid. In his hand he carries a rod of gold that is radiating the aura of magic which you detected when first you entered the clearing.

  The Cener calls his pack to a halt. They cease all movement and watch in quiet awe as he raises his golden rod and uses it to make a slow, deliberate sweep of the clearing. Hurriedly you draw on your Magnakai skills of Invisibility and Pathsmanship to shield you from detection as the Cener sweeps back the rod and levels it directly at the derelict hut.

  Waves of psychic energy flow across your mind. Steadily they grow in intensity, probing and testing your defences to breaking point.

  If you possess Kai-screen, turn to 44.

  If you do not possess this Grand Mastery, turn to 298.

  287

  The statuette is carved from solid gold. It depicts a delicate female figure with flowing hair and slender limbs. Were it not for the goat-like horns protruding from her forehead, and her long barbed tail, you would have thought this statuette to have been modelled on a beautiful human girl.

  Propped against the statuette you notice a Gold Key. If you wish to take this key, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item.

  You are staring thoughtfully at the statuette when suddenly your daydreaming is disturbed by a faint sound; someone or something is moving in the antechamber.

  Turn to 222.

  288

  As the last of the rat-men succumbs to your fatal blows, you look towards the bridge to see the Cener Druid gibbering with fright. He is horrified by the ease with which you disposed of his escort. Nervously he gathers up his robe and runs for the safety of the tunnel by which he and his now-deceased underlings entered the cave. Anxious not to allow him to escape and raise the alarm, you clamber out of the shallows and pull yourself onto the drawbridge in time to see his red-robed figure disappearing along the passage.

  The tunnel beyond the bridge is narrow yet well-lit and you have no difficulty following your prey. Stealthily and speedily you close upon him like
a lion running to ground a frightened fawn. He glances over his shoulder repeatedly as you draw nearer; then, in desperation, he skids to a halt beneath one of the many hanging bowls which illuminate this passageway. He raises both hands as if surrendering, but as you approach him he grasps the underside of the heavy bowl and heaves it at you. Suddenly, with a sizzling rush, a gallon of blazing coal oil spills over the stone rim and comes gushing down towards your unprotected face.

  If you possess Grand Nexus, turn to 324.

  If you do not possess mastery of this Discipline, turn to 22.

  289

  Without a sound you raise your weapon and tense yourself in readiness to strike. The Vazhag and the Cener are unaware of your presence and, as they move to enter the south tunnel, they turn their backs on where you are hiding. It is a fatal mistake, for in this instance you launch your attack.

  Like a tiger hungry for prey, swiftly and silently you bound into the cavern and strike down the two nearest rat-men with one scything blow. A mighty kick sends a third Vazhag crashing head-first into the cavern wall, and a backhanded slash puts paid to a fourth of their number, neatly parting its disease-riddled head from its shoulders. Shocked and confused, the remaining Vazhag fumble ineptly with their weapons whilst the Cener screams frantically at them to avenge their slain comrades. With ease you duck a whistling sword stroke, and then dispatch the beast with a lightning-fast stab to its heart. Your strike is executed with such economy of movement that, to the druid and the remaining Vazhag, it looks as if you hardly moved at all. For the Vazhag it is the last straw and, with a squeal of terror, it drops its torch and rusty blade and scurries for the dark safety of the south tunnel.