Wolf's Bane
Page 5
If you possess none of these skills, have yet to reach the required level of Kai rank, or simply choose not to use them, turn instead to 20.
18
To the left of the tunnel arch you discover two squares of opaque crimson gemstone separated by a small slot. The squares are similar in size and design to those you encountered at the entrance to the temple of Avaros. These, too, comprise a locking mechanism that controls this portal. By tapping upon each square a correct number of times you will cause the lock to disengage and the portal to rise.
You place your fingers lightly upon the squares and feel the tell-tale vibrations that are the key to deciphering the secret code. After only seconds you are able to determine that the first code is equal to the number of islands south of the Kirlundin island of Hemd.
The second code is equal to the number of villages that lie on the highway between the cities of Toran and Anskaven.
In order to discover the exact numbers that will open the portal, consult the map.
When you think you know the two-digit solution, turn to the entry that is the same number as your answer.6
If you cannot decipher the codes, turn instead to 242.
[6] The section corresponding to the correct answer will have a footnote confirming that it is indeed correct.
19
Suddenly the Bangrol shrieks in agony as a steel-tipped arrow skewers its skull. The force of the impact sends it cartwheeling through the air to crash limply against the chamber wall. You glance to your left and see a grinning Blazer calmly shouldering his bow.
‘Well done, Blazer,’ you say, as you sheathe your weapon. ‘Your bowmanship's as keen as ever. Those many hours you've spent in the monastery butts were not in vain, eh!’ The young Kai Master smiles his gratitude for your welcome words of praise.
‘Now, my lords, we must press on. We've a trail to find,’ you say, and motion your companions to follow as you leave this chamber by a tunnel in its south wall.
Turn to 298.
20
You call upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge and focus a pulse of psychic energy at the head of your mortal enemy. The moment you launch your mental attack, you see him physically shudder. Then his body stiffens and his half-eaten fruit drops from his grasp. You have hit your target, but you sense resistance; your adversary has powerful psychic defences with which he can counter your attack.
You feel a sudden wave of pain wash through you as he repels your mental assault and turns it back on you: lose 1 ENDURANCE point. To your dismay, you watch as Wolf's Bane leaps to his feet and makes a hasty escape, seemingly uninjured by your mental assault.
Turn to 224.
21
Cautiously you approach the slain warriors. You are eager to examine their strange armour and you are particularly curious about the light-emitting spears they wielded; weapons such as these could prove useful in your fight against Wolf's Bane. However, on examining these steely shafts you discover that they are now useless. The source of their power was contained in the canisters strapped to the warriors' backs, a power that is now depleted.
When you prise open a helmet and breastplate, you discover a thin, pale-skinned humanoid within. His bone structure and muscularity is surprisingly weak for a warrior, prompting you to suspect that he must have relied heavily on his power-fed armour for strength and protection. This sallow-faced soldier has a lean and brutal appearance, a look which resembles that of an emaciated Drakkar.
After having satisfied yourself that there is nothing worth salvaging from the bodies of these two slain enemies, you make a cursory check of your own equipment. You are hungry, and unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. Having satisfied your curiosity and your appetite, you hurry out of this derelict warehouse by a rear door and continue your hunt for Wolf's Bane's trail.
Turn to 31.
22
The creature's sharp proboscis misses you by inches. Before it can strike again, you prise yourself out of the cluster and retreat back along the stamen until you are out of harm's way. Blindly the giant insect stabs and slashes, splintering stamen tips and drenching you with showers of sticky pollen. Fortunately, the span of its gigantic wings and the narrowness of the plant's corolla conspire to prevent it from reaching deeper into the plant, and you are able to escape without injury.
You retreat all the way down to the bowl of the corolla, from where you began your ascent. Looking around you see that the hollow stem is now the only remaining chance you have of getting out of this plant alive.
Turn to 103.
23
The instant you tap in the second code the portal begins to rise.7 You wait until it has risen a few feet and you are sure that no enemy awaits you on the other side, and then you duck under the heavy iron plate and hurry into the tunnel beyond. As you run, you hear the portal slamming shut behind you with a dull reverberating boom.
Turn to 115.
[7] This is the correct answer to the portal lock in Section 18 and Section 320.
24
Your Kai camouflage skills keep you hidden from the unwanted attentions of these thirsty creatures, and you reach the stairs without being detected. Once you are here, you ascend to the balcony and hurry through the arch.
To continue, turn to 50.
25
Suddenly the tip of the creature's tail erupts from beneath the water and comes swishing towards your face. Instinctively you dive to avoid being hit and ripped open by the scores of razor-sharp barbs that encircle its tail.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 7 or less, turn to 2.
If it is 8 or more, turn to 169.
26
You summon your Kai skills to mask your body prior to uttering the words of the advanced Brotherhood Spell Teleport. You focus on the distant balcony and feel yourself leave the ground and surge towards it. As you come close to passing over the fountain, you pray that your camouflage skills will keep you hidden from the eyes of the creatures gathered there.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 4 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is 5 or lower, turn to 179.
If it is 6 or higher, turn to 245.
27
You approach the hut and crouch down beside its mud wall, close to its open door. Your senses detect no glyphs or other traps here, and there are no residues of magical energy that might betray the presence of illusions or shielding spells. However, your Kai senses do pick up a strong aura of Evil lingering at the rear of the hut, close to the water's edge.
You move around to the rear of this hovel and discover that the bank is deeply undercut where the soft earth has been eroded by the fast-flowing stream. Standing in a line in the shadow of the undercut are a dozen wooden cages, each containing a fleshless skeleton. A shiver runs down your spine as your Magnakai Discipline of Divination detects the lingering agonies of these luckless victims. They suffered cruelly at the hands of the natives of this settlement before death finally ended their torment. The shock of your discovery is unnerving: lose 1 ENDURANCE point.
You leave the stream and return to the front of the hut. Inside the open doorway you discover several fruits stacked in mounds on a mat of woven rushes. Somewhat to your surprise, your senses tell you that they are nutritious and safe to eat. (There are sufficient fruits here for 3 Meals.)
Wary of further delay, you approach the trench at the centre of the hut. Your tracking skills locate your enemy's tracks leading down the flight of steps, and quickly you follow them into an underground tunnel. You have gone only a few yards along this narrow passageway when suddenly you hear the terrifying roar of a large cat. With an abruptness that takes your breath away, a huge tiger-like beast comes bounding from out of the darkness ahead. So sudden and unexpected is this creature's attack, that you only just have enough time to unsheathe a hand weapon as it hurls itsel
f upon you.
Illustration I—A huge tiger-like beast comes bounding out of the darkness ahead.
Rahjaz: COMBAT SKILL 48 ENDURANCE 41
This creature is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.
If you win this combat, turn to 249.
28
You unsheathe the Sword of the Sun and a shimmering halo of light engulfs the blade. This golden glow washes over the rubble-strewn steps and illuminates something that, until now, had gone unnoticed.
Lying across the open doorway to the tomb is a slab of granite. Cautiously you move nearer to inspect a strange mark on its surface which is glinting in the light from your sword. You discover that it is an intricate design which has been scratched upon its surface. Someone has gone to the trouble of smearing it with dirt and a magical spell of shielding has been placed upon it to disguise its true purpose, yet you immediately realize what it is and you recoil from the slab, hurriedly retreating a dozen paces. It is a glyph of power: a magical booby trap that has been expertly camouflaged to keep it secret. If anyone or anything were to step upon or pass over this glyph, the energy contained within it would be released in one devastating instant.
You sheathe your sword and warn the others of what you have found, telling them to retreat with you to a safe distance. From the cover of a gravestone, several yards from the tomb, you instruct Star Lynx to pick up a rock and hurl it through the open doorway. He responds by selecting an apple-sized chunk of granite which he lobs with accuracy into the tomb.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have chosen is 0–3, turn to 211.
If it is 4–9, turn to 53.
29
You climb more than two hundred steps before the staircase arrives at a short tunnel which opens into a damp, cavernous hall. This huge chamber is partitioned into pens which house several giant dragonflies, similar to those you encountered when first you arrived on Avaros. High above, great oblong sections of the steel roof are open to the elements and the bases of passing storm clouds are lit up by the glow from the hall's phosphorescent lighting. You scan the rain-swept pens for a sight of your adversary, and find him climbing upon the saddled back of a great crimson dragonfly. He urges the creature into the air and it obeys with stunning swiftness. You watch as Wolf's Bane steers his winged mount once around the roof of the hall, and then, to your horror, you see him bring the creature to hover directly over your head. He shouts at you, but his words are lost in the buzz of the dragonfly's massive wings. Then he leans from the saddle and casts down a metallic box before urging his mount skywards. The box lands close by, bouncing once before coming to rest near your feet. Your heart pounds when you sense that it is a powerful time bomb. A panel on the side of this device contains several illuminated numerals that are blinking intermittently. You can see by the numbers remaining that you have only 30 seconds before the bomb detonates.
If you wish to attempt to defuse this time bomb, turn to 177.
If you decide instead to mount one of the giant dragonflies and attempt to escape from this hall before the bomb explodes, turn to 190.
30
Nausea wells up from the pit of your stomach as the lower chamber of the tower is suddenly transformed into a whirling spiral of violent colours and noise. You feel yourself falling forwards into this vortex and, for a few fleeting seconds, you glimpse your adversary. He is brandishing his sword and laughing like a madman, his face twisted with maniacal glee as he rides this terrifying whirlwind. Then he is lost to the chaos of the maelstrom and he vanishes from your sight.
For what seems like an eternity you spin and fall through a rainbow of colour and sound. Only gradually do you become aware that this nightmare journey is coming to an end when the noise abates and the swirling colours begin to fade. Then, with a jolt, you find yourself standing ankle-deep in stagnant green water, struggling to keep your balance. You draw your weapon and scan your surroundings, fearful of sudden attack, but you soon realize that you are alone.
You appear to be under the ground, standing in a crude sewer-like tunnel which has been excavated by primitive means. The roots of trees protrude from its beaten earth ceiling and there is a stale and unpleasant smell of rotting vegetation. You use your psychic skills to probe for Wolf's Bane but you cannot detect his presence, and so you sheathe your weapon and relax your guard. The encounter with the manifestation of Naar has left a fear gnawing at your heart, the fear that the Dark God could at any moment he chooses lay claim to your soul. But your Kai courage swiftly overcomes the anxiety and you draw comfort from your faith in the Gods Kai and Ishir. You offer up a prayer to them to watch over you during the coming trial of strength, and vow that you will never lose hope, no matter what dangers you may yet face. As if in answer to your prayer you feel a surge of energy flow through your body, revitalizing your mind and senses (restore any ENDURANCE points which you may have lost during your adventure so far).
Alert and confident, you peer along the gloomy tunnel in both directions and try to determine the best course to follow. Neither way looks especially appealing.
If you choose to explore the tunnel ahead, turn to 128.
If you decide to follow the tunnel behind, turn to 262.
31
The rear of the warehouse opens onto a wasteland of shattered rubble which is bisected by a dead stream of salty, acidic water. You trudge across this bleak and forbidding landscape, past sharp spires of crimson and jet that erupt through the dereliction to scratch the cloudy sky. Rust-red water encircles their bases, lending them a wholly sinister aspect. To your eyes it seems as if this blighted city has been impaled upon these cruel, towering spikes.
Beyond the spires you discover a paved street almost clear of debris. You find several sets of footprints here, and your hopes are raised when you determine that one set belongs to Wolf's Bane. You follow them to a gutted building, several storeys high, which is adorned with strangely angular gargoyles. The inside of this crumbling edifice is completely empty and your adversary's trail passes through it to a rear exit. As you emerge on the far side, you catch your first breathtaking glimpse of this grim city's tallest structure.
Turn to 250.
32
The giant serpent tries desperately to resist your mental command to retreat, but it cannot overcome your powers of persuasion. Slowly it retreats towards the cavern wall until it is halted by the chain to which it is shackled. Cautiously you advance, keeping a wary eye on its trembling form as you skirt around the opposite wall. Within seconds you are able to reach the safety of the exit tunnel and make your escape unscathed.
Turn to 115.
33
The water is refreshingly cold to your touch, but it has a metallic taste that makes you retch: lose 1 ENDURANCE point.
Turn to 336.
34
Kekataag the Avenger is attired in battle-armour that glimmers like slime-dulled gold. Beneath his helmet there is a hollow skull-face from which emerges a sickly stench that permeates even the foul air of this hall. The skulls and bones of humans bedeck his armoured hide and in his mighty hands he carries a great two-handed axe, its blade stained black with the blood of his countless victims.
This fearsome warrior holds you with his glowing eyes and you feel waves of powerful psychic energy buffet your mind. You muster your Magnakai defences to repel this attack, but you sustain psychic shock before your defences knit together properly: lose 4 ENDURANCE points. This sudden and unprovoked attack leaves you in no doubt that Kekataag is deeply jealous of your supposed defeat of Lone Wolf.
Illustration II—The fearsome warrior holds you with his glowing eyes.
Turn to 255.
35
Steel Hand and the other Kai clear away the rubble to reveal a trapdoor set into the floor. You command Star Lynx to tie one end of his rope to its bronze ring and then together, from a safe distance, you pull open this stone hatch. No traps are sprung as the heavy
slab of stone creaks open, and when you move closer, you see a circular chute and a ladder descending to a deeper level of the catacombs. You peer down into the darkness and you detect fresh tracks on the ladder's iron rungs. You are back on the impostor's trail.
Cautiously you lead the descent into the chute, using your powers of infravision to scan for signs of movement in the damp darkness below. After several minutes you reach the bottom of the ladder where you discover a large, vaulted chamber. Around its walls are positioned urns and grey stone caskets, each embellished with traces of gold. There is an unexpected air of opulence about this vault which prompts you to guess that it is a secret burial tomb.
If you have ever visited the Graveyard of the Ancients in a previous Lone Wolf adventure, turn to 182.
If you have never visited this place, turn to 206.
36
Your target is beyond the effective range of your power-word. The energy of your attack dissipates before it reaches Wolf's Bane, and all that he feels is a cool and pleasant breeze. The use of this Discipline at such extreme range drains your strength unnecessarily: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
You watch your adversary and see him getting to his feet: he is moving deeper into the jungle. Fearing that he is getting away, you dash from the cave mouth and chase after him. But you have covered fewer than a dozen yards when suddenly an arrow comes whistling out of the undergrowth. It speeds directly towards your face with terrifying accuracy.