Wolf's Bane

by Joe Dever

  If you wish to fight these creatures, turn to 201.

  If you wish to attempt to evade them by entering the Shadow Gate, turn to 162.

  133

  Your eagle eyes pinpoint the place where the arrow emerged from the jungle perimeter and, when you magnify your vision, you see the face of your enemy, Wolf's Bane, partially hidden by a tree. He laughs, his teeth showing white against the dark green of the jungle, and then he springs to his feet and disappears into the undergrowth.

  Determined that you are not going to allow him to escape so easily, you break into a run and give chase.

  Turn to 90.

  134

  Cursing your luck, you abandon the lock and turn to face the metal beast. The creature is loping towards you now, the rhythmic squeal of its metal joints counterpointed by the whirring clack of its great iron jaw. You bite back your fear and brace yourself as the beast gets ready to pounce.

  If you possess a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 87.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 14.

  If you do not possess this Weapon or skill, or choose not to use them, turn to 127.

  135

  The gigantic insect detects movement where it is expecting none and immediately it senses a threat to its safety. Swiftly it retracts its proboscis and rises several feet, taking its vulnerable belly beyond the reach of your sword arm. It hovers motionlessly for a few seconds, its glinting fly-like eyes watching you intently; then it emits a high-pitched shriek and at once you know that it is getting ready to attack.

  If you possess Animal Mastery and wish to use it in an attempt to repel this creature's imminent attack, turn to 178.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, or if you choose not to use it, turn to 311.

  136

  With stunning grace and swiftness, you unshoulder your Bow and let loose two hastily aimed Arrows at the reptilians. Yet, despite the haste of your shots, both shafts find their mark. They skewer the horny skulls of these cold-blooded ambushers, killing them both in an instant. (Remember to reduce your total number of Arrows by 2.)

  Free now from the immediate threat of attack, you shoulder your Bow and turn to examine the sealed portal for a lever or some other means to make it rise.

  Turn to 202.

  137

  This passage ascends by a slope to a chamber that is lined with sheets of a glassy, jet-black mineral. A flight of iron steps ascends from here to a landing where a circular stair continues the ascent to the levels above. On a shelf beside the opening to the circular stairway there is a steel cage containing a small primate. It reminds you of the Kakarmi, the wild primates who inhabit the forests around the Kai Monastery. This creature seems to recognize you, and as you approach the stairs, it begins to shriek with fear. Rather than risk drawing unwanted attention to yourself, you use your innate skills of Animal Control to calm and subdue the frightened creature.

  If you wish to release this creature from its cage, turn to 46.

  If you choose to ignore it and continue on your way up the circular stairs, turn to 287.

  138

  You detect that the fluid which the creatures are drinking from the fountain is highly flammable. Armed with this knowledge, you place an Arrow to your Bow and take aim at the stone trough. Moments before you release your bowstring, you utter the words of the Old Kingdom Battle-spell Flameshaft and the tip of your missile flares brightly with a crackling magical flame. You launch the Arrow and watch as it arcs into the trough. With a deafening wumph! the liquid ignites to form a blazing fireball which greedily consumes the creatures gathered around the lip of the trough.

  Turn to 204.

  139

  Hurriedly you focus your Discipline at the attacking bird and command it to stop.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. For every level of Kai rank that you have attained above the rank of Kai Grand Guardian, add 1 to the number you have chosen.

  If your total is now 7 or less, turn to 241.

  If it is 8 or higher, turn to 307.

  140

  The moment you pass into the mouth of the skull-rock you are engulfed by a dense fog that is icy cold and impenetrable to your sight and senses. You strain your Kai skills to aid your pursuit of Wolf's Bane, but all to no avail; this ivory-white fog hides everything, swamping and distorting all sense of time and direction.

  You keep moving, forcing yourself onwards even though the surface beneath your feet has become viscous and uncertain. After what seems like an eternity spent wandering through this cloudy limbo, you gradually feel the ground hardening and sense that the impenetrable fog is beginning to dissipate. Patches of grey appear in the creamy whiteness. Then the fog dissolves completely and you find yourself standing in the middle of a rubble-strewn street, surrounded by the bleak and derelict dwellings of a decaying, alien city.

  It is the dead of night and a fine drizzle falls from a storm-laden sky, dampening this dreary landscape. Everywhere you look you see the hollow shells of buildings. They are heaped with mounds of broken stone, twisted rusty iron, and shattered glass. There are no trees, no blades of grass, no animals here. Everything is cold, grey, and dead.

  Suddenly you sense a blur of movement beside a mountain of rubble which blocks the end of the street. You focus upon it, magnifying your vision to penetrate the damp gloom, and you are rewarded with a fleeting glimpse of Wolf's Bane. He is running away. You hurry after him and, as you crest the mound, you see him entering the shattered entrance to a three-storey dwelling close by.

  Turn to 324.

  141

  You draw your weapon and climb the rickety shelves in order to be able to reach this elusive acid-spitter. Despite its ungainly shape, it proves to be adept at evading your first few blows until you manage to corner it at the far end of the top shelf.

  Caq: COMBAT SKILL 32 ENDURANCE 20

  This creature is immune to all psychic attacks.

  If you win the combat, turn to 328.

  142

  Your killing blow decapitates the Bangrol and the two sundered halves of its body fall limply to the debris-strewn floor. Hurriedly you wipe clean your weapon and re-sheathe it; then you motion your companions to follow as you leave this chamber by a tunnel in its south wall.

  Turn to 298.

  143

  Unable to open this portal, you turn around and retrace your steps back to the junction and then explore the other passageway.

  Turn to 137.

  144

  Hurriedly you retreat back along the stamen until you are out of harm's way. Blindly the angry Solyx stabs with its proboscis, 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 sustaining further injury.

  When you reach the bowl of the corolla once more, you lower yourself into the hollow stem and soon discover that it drops away very steeply. It is a vertical tube for most of its length, yet you are able to slow your rate of descent by grabbing hold of tiny tendrils which protrude from the lining of the stem wall. As you get nearer to its base, the stem wall becomes semi-transparent and slick with moisture. You press your face to this warm surface and you are able to discern other stems beyond. They look like the trunks of trees in a dense green forest. Then you look down to see that the stem of this plant is descending into darkness. The darkness begins at the point where the stem passes below ground level. You decide to stop at this point for you have no desire to explore the roots of this huge flower.

  Carefully you examine the fabric of the semi-transparent stem. If you can force your way through this tough plant wall, you will be able to escape from your prison-like tube.

  If you possess a bladed Weapon or a bladed Special Item, turn to 332.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 279.

  If you possess Magi-magic and wish to us
e it, turn to 57.

  If you possess none of the above or choose not to use them, turn to 4.

  145

  You lose your grip and slip back into the water. As you make a second attempt to climb out, you feel the creature grab your legs. Swiftly he pulls you beneath the surface and drags you down towards the cellar floor, twenty feet below the surface. You are left in no doubt that this beast wants to drown you before it feasts on your flesh!

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Thane or higher, turn to 194.

  If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 237.

  146

  You step out from beneath the leaf under which you have been hiding and focus on the distant vent. Carefully you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Levitation that Guildmaster Banedon taught you many years ago, and moments later you feel yourself floating upwards through the air towards the apex of this gigantic cavern.

  The spell frees you from the grip of gravity and enables you to soar towards the cavern's roof. However, you are unable to control the angle of your ascent and in order to steer yourself towards the vent, you must try to position yourself in one of the thermal currents which are rising from the canyon floor.

  After some great effort you manage to locate a benign thermal which carries you slowly towards the distant vent. Unfortunately, you are not the only creature enjoying the hospitality of this rising current. You have soared close to a mile above the canyon when suddenly you attract the unwanted attention of a gigantic dragonfly. Anxious to defend yourself in case it should attack, you draw a weapon and wait with bated breath as it circles around your floating form.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 1 to the number you have picked.

  If your total is now 6 or less, turn to 75.

  If it is 7 or higher, turn to 244.

  147

  Naar summons forth a shrieking horde of horrors from the smoky walls of his throne room. These hideous bat-winged creatures resemble deformed human brains that trail skeletal appendages. You retreat a few paces before them, in order to unsheathe your weapon, and then with your battle-cry on your lips — ‘For Sommerlund and the Kai!’ — you launch yourself into their midst and fight like a demon.

  Crypt Spawn Horde: COMBAT SKILL 50 ENDURANCE 36

  If you win this combat, turn to 111.

  148

  The once-grand doors of this hall no longer hang upon their hinges. They have been torn down and now lie twisted and rusted together, partially blocking the entrance. After checking to make sure that your adversary has not left any unwelcome surprises, you clamber over these ruined doors and begin a cautious exploration of the hall's gloomy interior.

  The cavernous ground floor was long ago gutted by fire. All that remains of its contents now lies buried beneath blackened timbers and twisted iron beams. Metal chains hang in festoons from the buckled roof girders, dripping icicles of rust. They sway and squeal eerily in the wind, sending shivers coursing down your spine.

  You detect nothing of interest in the debris and are about to abandon your search when suddenly you hear something unexpected — a dull thump. The sound came from below the ground. Drawing upon your Magnakai hunting skills, you peer through a hole in the ruined floor and detect something large and warm-blooded. It is moving away, towards the rear of the hall's cellar level.

  If you wish to investigate your discovery further, turn to 168.

  If you choose to abandon your search and leave the hall, turn to 71.

  149

  Caldar instructs one of his guards to escort you to the castle armoury, where you are encouraged to take whatever you need. From among the many racks of fine weapons and equipment, the following items catch your eye:

  Broadsword

  Sword

  Axe

  Warhammer

  Short Sword

  Mace

  Spear

  Arrows (6)

  Quiver (counts as a Special Item if you choose this in addition to any Quiver you may already possess)

  Naphtha Bomb (small explosive incendiary — counts as a Backpack Item)

  If you choose to take any of the above items, make the appropriate adjustments to your Action Chart. You may then leave the armoury by turning to 260.

  150

  Beyond the arch lies a steep ramp that descends to the floor of a circular chamber, the lowest level of the tower which soars into the stormy sky above. Runes of alien design run around the seamless glassy walls and the air is heavy with the sweet smell of decay. A large circular plinth stands in the centre of the chamber, its mirror-smooth surface a little under three feet from the floor. You take a step towards it and suddenly it is surrounded by a wall of fierce blue flames which shoot upwards from tiny vents in the floor around its base. As these flames gradually subside, you see four Kai Masters cowering upon the plinth. They are the four young Kai you thought had been left safely behind in the Old Necropolis of Tyso. They look petrified with fear, and when they see you they throw up their blistered, soot-blackened hands and plead for you to release them from their fiery prison.

  Drawing upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen, you detect that the image of the four Kai Masters is nothing but a cruel illusion. Then, in the very next instant, the ramp on which you are standing suddenly drops away from under your feet. You throw yourself to one side and crash down upon the floor of the chamber, rolling over as you strike the hard surface to lessen the shock of impact. As you stagger to your feet, you see the image of the four Kai being consumed by fire. It is a frightful sight, and as they scream their last, a wave of hostile psychic energy crashes into your mind.

  If you possess Kai-screen, turn to 122.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 45.

  151

  Wolf's Bane staggers backwards, clutching at his wounds with his free hand. You move forward, eager to finish him, but he parries your lunge and then, with a look of utter desperation in his soulless eyes, he glances up at the ceiling and shouts:

  ‘Take him, Doom-blight! Take him now!’

  Your blood freezes when you see a great gull-winged horror emerge from a hidden perch among the hall's shadowy rafters. It plunges towards you, a fiery sword held at arm's length ready to be driven through your heart.

  If you have ever encountered the Demoness Shamath in a previous Lone Wolf adventure, turn to 263.

  If you have never encountered this creature, turn to 74.

  152

  Frantically you shout the words of the Brotherhood Spell Halt Missile and point at the onrushing arrow. The deadly shaft freezes in mid-flight, barely a few inches from the tip of your extended finger. Immediately you crouch down, and as the effects of the spell wear off, the shaft suddenly re-animates and whistles over your head to lodge itself in the tangle of vines that curtain the cave mouth.

  Turn to 133.

  153

  Icy fingers of fear run up and down your spine as you brace yourself for the imminent impact of the approaching fire-bolt.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 58.

  If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it, turn to 113.

  If you possess Assimilance and have attained the rank of Sun Lord (and you wish to use this Discipline), turn to 176.

  If you possess Grand Huntmastery and have attained the rank of Sun Thane (and you wish to use this Discipline), turn to 212.

  If you possess none of these skills or do not yet possess the necessary level of Kai rank (or if you choose not to use any Kai Mastery), turn instead to 259.

  154

  Dazed and trembling, you stagger to your feet and tentatively shake your head in an effort to clear your blurred vision. Close by your feet you see the outline of your weapon and you stoop to retrieve it. (If you were holding a normal weapon when you passed through the wall, you discover it has been destroyed by the blast: delete this weapon fr
om your Weapons List. If the weapon you were holding was a Special Item, you discover that it has survived intact.)

  As your vision returns you see that you have been hurled back into the chamber. Your fellow Kai, all of whom were knocked to the floor by the blast, are now struggling to get themselves back on their feet. Fortunately their physical injuries are minor; their innate Kai skills have spared them from serious injury. However, you sense that your inability to detect that the wall was an explosive illusion has severely shaken their confidence.

  ‘Our prey is far more cunning than I feared,’ you say, ruefully, ‘but we are Kai and we shall rise to the challenge. Our enemy possesses strong magic and he is capable of masking it well. Yet he chooses to use it to wound and weaken our party, not to kill us. Why this should be I do not know. But from now on we cannot entirely trust our senses to protect us. We must proceed with the utmost caution.’

  Beyond where the illusory north wall once stood, you can now see a small antechamber which is wreathed in acrid blue smoke. Gradually this smoke dissipates to reveal a shallow plinth upon which lies a bronze urn. This heavy object rests on its side and a quantity of pale grey ash has spilled from its hinged lid. Cautiously you approach the urn and see that there is an inscription engraved on its side. From this ancient script you learn that the ashes are the last remains of Baroness Garrulen, the wife of Hul — third Baron of Tyso. Glinting half-buried in the ash, you notice a ring encrusted with crimson gemstones. (If you wish to keep this Ruby Ring, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item.)