by Joe Dever
Cursing vilely, the Cener retreats until his red-robed back is pressed flat against the cavern wall. His mask hides his entire face, yet even so you can sense the blazing hatred that is pouring from his eyes, as if it were a stream of liquid fire. You raise your weapon and advance, eager to finish the druid swiftly, but you are halted by a sudden, unexpected pulse of psychic energy that crashes like a wave against your mind.
If you possess Kai-screen, turn to 107.
If you do not possess this Grand Mastery, turn to 272.
290
You have entered a chamber constructed entirely of black marble and illuminated by artificial light. A dozen spheres of white flame hang motionless in mid-air near the ceiling, each positioned directly above an operating table bearing the corpse of a Slovian soldier. You are shocked to see that their skulls are open and empty. The brains float in glass tanks standing at the head of each table, yet still connected to their respective bodies by coils of thin copper wire.
Two Cenerese initiates are attending to the corpses. Their hands are sheathed in transparent gloves and they are clad in close-fitting papery suits. Startled by your dramatic entrance, they abandon their grisly work and seek the protection of their mentor, a druid who wears the hooded purple cloak of a Cenerese High Priest. He faces you across this hellish chamber, his lips drawn back in a silent, gasping snarl as he fumbles for a golden rod which is tucked into his belt.
‘Kill him!’ he commands, and he pushes his terrified students towards you. Hesitantly they draw their daggers and, being far more frightened of their tutor than of you, they advance. With swift and deadly precision you dispatch the two initiates and stride towards the priest, your weapon poised to deal a third fatal blow. The Cener spits a curse and instantly a sparking web of energy appears, writhing around the golden rod which he is now holding in his hand. Another curse, and the web becomes a lance of crackling power that comes surging towards your face.
If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 199.
If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 316.
291
The creepers coil around your limbs and neck in an attempt to crush the life from your body, but you resist this attack just long enough to raise your weapon and strike back. Your first blow tears away a great swath of the writhing vines and, unexpectedly, you see a fountain of ichor erupt from every severed end. Then the realization hits you that you are fighting a creature — not a plant!
From somewhere above the canopy of branches you hear an unearthly roar of pain. Once more the remaining tendrils seek you out; this time they are no longer soft and fibrous, but stiff and studded with barbed thorns. The swirling mass strikes out for your throat. Desperately you hack at them with devastating effect, yet one of the limbs avoids your blows and wraps itself tightly about your neck. Pain fills your head and chest as its razor-sharp thorns bite deeply into your flesh and release a powerful acid.
Stragnah: COMBAT SKILL 36 ENDURANCE 39
Due to the surprise of its attack, reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 3 points for the first two rounds of this combat. This creature is immune to all psychic attacks.
If you win this combat, turn to 327.
292
Quickly you unshoulder your pack and remove the Cener Robe and Mask. The garment and the mask still bear the vile smell of the creature that once owned them, making you hesitate before putting them on, but you are determined to enter Mogaruith undetected and, by wearing this Cenerese outfit, you hope to achieve that aim. (Erase the Cener Robe and Cener Mask from your list of Backpack Items, but note in the margin of your Action Chart that you are now wearing them.)
Once you have donned your disguise, you crawl to a clump of dense foliage at the edge of the forest and wait patiently for your opportunity to act. Eventually your patience is rewarded when you spy two Vazhag approaching Mogaruith from the Skardos Trail. They are leading on a chain what appears at first glance to be a man, although this impression is soon dispelled when they draw closer to your hiding place.
Trailing behind the Vazhag is a creature with no free will of its own, a being that was once human but is now consigned to the twilight world of the undead. The sight of this stiff-limbed zombie, propelling itself forward on withered grey limbs, fills you with revulsion and pity. With difficulty you suppress your anger at the creatures who have caused this transformation and, as the Vazhag draw level, you emerge from the foliage and order them to stop. At once the rat-men obey, deceived by your disguise and your command of the Cenerese dialect. Nervously their red eyes regard you and they shuffle uneasily as they wait for your next command.
If you wish to ask them what they are doing, turn to 122.
If you wish to order them to accompany you into Mogaruith, turn to 210.
293
A sharp pain runs up your left leg and, with fearful expectation, you glance down to see that a Vazhag arrow has gouged your thigh: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
You draw upon your healing skills to numb the stinging pain and, as it fades, you continue your ascent towards the winch with increased determination.
Turn to 103.
294
There is a blinding flash followed by a terrible pain which fills your head. Then the pain subsides and you feel as if you are falling forwards into a dark, bottomless pit. The end of the heavy chain has lashed out and struck your skull, fracturing it badly. As you are plunged into unconsciousness, you lose your footing and fall to your doom in the hall below.
Your brave action causes the cauldron to tip its contents into the hall, thereby destroying the plague virus and the druids who know the secrets of its cultivation. This destruction has saved millions from a terrible death, and your courage in bringing this about will never be forgotten by the free peoples of Magnamund. Sadly, though, death is the price you must pay for your victory.
Your life and your quest end here in the plague hall of Mogaruith.
295
You catch sight of something huge and grey, moving just below the surface of the foaming water. For a moment it disappears; then, with a mighty splash, a great scaly head emerges with two cold reptilian eyes that flare like yellow flames. It soars up from the icy depths of the lake, perched atop a neck as stout and as long as a toa tree.
Illustration XVIII—A great scaly head emerges with two cold reptilian eyes that flare like pits of yellow flame.
One-handedly you struggle to unsheathe your weapon as the feral-eyed beast hovers above you, its open mouth set with jagged, jet-black fangs. Hungrily it watches you and a rumble issues from its gullet as it steadies itself to strike.
Dholdaarg: COMBAT SKILL 43 ENDURANCE 56
Owing to your precarious position you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 5 points for the duration of this fight. If the weapon you are using is a Broadsword, a Spear, or a Quarterstaff, reduce your COMBAT SKILL by a further 3 points. This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not to Psi-surge or Kai-surge).
You may evade combat after 6 rounds by turning to 63.
If you win the combat, turn to 219.
296
The hideous Degradon roars in agony as your killing blow seals its fate. It crashes forward and you leap aside just in time to avoid being pinned beneath its loathsome carcass. Breathless and shaking with the fatigue of combat, you lean against the wall and survey your surroundings.
Before you stretches a cavernous hall, lit by the glow from fire-filled orbs hanging by chains from the ceiling. Facing each other are two rows of stone statues which form a grotesque corridor leading to an archway on the far side. Although they are human in shape, extreme expressions of pain and despair twist and contort their faces.
You advance cautiously. You are wary of the statues and your body is tensed to react should they show the slightest hint of animation. Fortunately your caution is unnecessary and you are able to reach the archway and leave the hall without further incident. A short passageway leads to a junction where a wider corridor crosses from left to right. Your skin p
rickles in reaction to the concentration of evil you detect in this subterranean part of Mogaruith, and silently you call upon your creator, the noble God Kai, for protection and guidance, before continuing.
Instinct prompts you to turn left, and within a few minutes you arrive at a chamber where a vast staircase of black marble ascends to many levels, lost in the gloom above. Opposite this grand staircase stands a large door, carved from a solid sheet of strange green metal, the like of which you have never seen before. It gives off a pulsating radiance which washes over the empty chamber, illuminating symbols carved into the walls and floor. You focus on these symbols and, in a chilling moment of realization, you decipher their meaning.
Turn to 300.
297
You step over the bodies of your attackers and stoop to retrieve your Bow. As you are rising, you notice a tiny box-like device hanging from a chain around the Pit Agarashi's neck. At once your natural Sixth Sense informs you that this device is magical. It controlled the creature's instincts, enslaving it to the commands of the weaker Vazhag.
If you wish to take this Restrainer, record it as a Special Item on your Action Chart.
Anxious to leave, you lift the furs which cover the divan and see, protruding from the side, a small lever identical to the one that opened the secret door. You pull it and the door clicks open, enabling you to escape by the way you entered.
Turn to 308.
298
The psychic protection afforded you by your Magnakai Disciplines buckles under the Cener's concentrated assault. You feel an unbearable pressure behind your eyes, and then a white-hot core of pain erupts inside your head and you are sent reeling to the ground in agony: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.
As gradually the pain fades, you hear the Cener's harsh voice barking an order to his Vazhag escort. You have been detected!
Turn to 159.
299
The flames explode upon your chest and fan out to engulf your entire body. You call upon the protection of your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus to save you, but it cannot overcome the incredible temperature of this magical fire: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.
Within a few seconds the flames have gone, leaving you singed and smouldering but (to the angry frustration of your attacker) still alive.
Turn to 17.
300
The symbols form concentric circles which spell out a grim message:
‘Humble thyself for thou art worthless like the dust before He who dwells herein. Pay homage to the emissary of the Lords of Decay for He is the instrument of their intention. Abase thyself afore His power. Hail, mighty Cadak of Mogaruith!’
Fear and uncertainty knot your stomach as you stand and stare at the door to Arch Druid Cadak's throne hall. Your senses scream at you to turn and run from this place for the air is so heavy with evil that you feel as if you are being slowly suffocated to death. But on this occasion you resist your instincts, for you have yet to discover where the Cenerese are cultivating their deadly plague virus and you know that the answer to that question can most likely be found here.
With fear running cold in your veins, you steel yourself and step towards the glowing door. As you come within a few feet of its pulsating surface, a band of intense light washes over you from head to toe.
If you possess the Grand Mastery of Kai-screen, turn to 236.
If you do not possess mastery of this skill, turn to 6.
301
With a chilling howl, the spectral creature swoops down to exploit its advantage, but you are too quick for it. You roll across the rock-strewn floor and lash out as it passes overhead, and feel a cold shock run up your arm as your weapon passes clean through its fiery, ghost-like body. The creature howls again, this time with pain. Heartened by the realization that it is vulnerable to your attack, you rise to your feet and prepare for combat as it comes swooping down to attack once more.
Pechdrazil: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 26
This creature is especially susceptible to high-level psychic attacks. If you possess Kai-surge and wish to use it, increase your COMBAT SKILL by 10 points (instead of 8) for the duration of this combat.
If you win the fight, turn to 20.
302
The Tzarg croaks excitedly when it discovers where you are. Cursing the creature, you abandon your hiding place and step into the light, your weapon drawn in readiness for combat.
The instant the Vazhag see you they squeal with delight and fan out in an attempt to surround you. Freed from its cruel handlers, the Tzarg waddles away into the passage as quickly as it can to avoid the fight which is about to commence.
Vazhag patrol: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 40
You cannot evade this combat. The Vazhag attack simultaneously and you must fight them as one enemy.
If you win the combat, turn to 83.
303
You struggle to extricate yourself from the bodies of the Vazhag you have slain. As you rise to the summit of this grisly heap, you glimpse the Cener Druid scurrying towards the gap in the trees by which he, and his late minions, entered the clearing. He must not be allowed to escape!
Carefully you take up your Bow and aim at this enemy for a second time, determined to stop him in his tracks. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have Grand Weaponmastery (with Bow), add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is 0–4, turn to 99.
If it is 5 or higher, turn to 250.
304
A Cener Robe and Mask would provide you with a useful disguise as you explore the chambers of Mogaruith, a disguise that would undoubtedly raise your chances of success. With this in mind you take and put on what you need from the pegs.
Record the Cener Robe and Cener Mask in the margin of your Action Chart. As you are wearing these items rather than carrying them, you need not discard any Backpack Items in their favour.
To continue, turn to 126.
305
As the last Acolyte drops lifelessly to the platform, you sheathe your weapon and take hold of the ladder which ascends to the winch. All eyes in the hall below are watching your ascent and, when they suddenly realize what it is you are trying to do, pandemonium breaks out. Hysterical screams of anger and fear merge into a dreadful cacophony which fills the hall with clamouring echoes. You glance down at their faces, contorted by rage, and as you do so you glimpse a new threat to your safety.
A handful of Vazhag archers are scurrying from out of the portal which connects Cadak's chamber to the gallery. They spread out along the parapet and begin firing at you with their lacquered bows. Black-fletched arrows whistle past on either side, their barbed heads passing dangerously close to your legs and feet.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 4 to the number you have chosen.
If your total score is now 0–2, turn to 231.
If it is 3–6, turn to 293.
If it is 7 or higher, turn to 278.
306
You follow this illuminated tunnel with your nerves on edge, your every sense stretched to breaking point to detect anything that could forewarn you of an ambush or a trap. You follow it for almost a mile, and it is not until you reach a junction where the tunnel branches off in two directions, north and south, that your vigilance and skill are finally rewarded.
To the north you detect the greasy smell of Vazhag hide, and another aroma that reminds you of boiled offal. To the south you detect a completely different stench, a sickly gangrenous smell, rank and fetid, its origin unknown.
If you wish to investigate the north tunnel, turn to 85.
If you choose to follow the south tunnel, turn to 266.
307
You breathe the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and point towards the iron pin. A core of heat wells up in your chest and then surges along your outstretched arm to manifest itself at the tip of your index finger as a crackling ball of magical fire. This fire arcs towards the pin and explodes on impact amid a show
er of hissing sparks. As these sparks fade you see faint cracks appearing in the surface of the flame-scorched pin.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If your current ENDURANCE score is 25 or higher, add 2 to the number you have picked. If your ENDURANCE score is 15 or lower, deduct 2.
If your total score is now 3 or less, turn to 328.
If it is 4 or higher, turn to 141.
308
The secret door clicks shut behind you and you find yourself back in the vast, lava-lit cavern once more. Unseen, you advance towards the iron portal and wait close by, camouflaged from detection by your cloak of Kai skills, as patiently you observe the doorway and its guards.
After several minutes, the resonant boom of a metal gong echoes in some deep and distant part of the caves. As the echo slowly fades, another sound, that of metal scraping on stone, resounds around the cavern. Then a crack of light appears along the bottom of the portal and, with a grating screech, the great wall of black iron slowly rises up into the ceiling.
Through the opening comes a patrol of Vazhag who are escorting a wagon stacked high with wooden boxes, barrels, and sacks. A sudden rush of female Vazhag, all squealing and clamouring for food, brings the wagon to a halt directly beneath the onion-shaped portico. The escort struggles to fend off the hungry females with little effect until, with a spine-tingling screech, the portal begins to descend. A wave of panic washes over the Vazhag and they turn and run back into the cavern, fearful of being crushed beneath the falling iron door.
