Wolf's Bane

by Joe Dever

  You are righting the urn on its plinth when you hear Steel Hand calling you. He has found something among the rubble which litters the floor at the rear of the antechamber.

  Turn to 35.

  155

  Before you can move to avoid the oncoming missile, it hits you in the chest and sends you crashing to the floor: lose 10 ENDURANCE points.

  If you have survived this grievous wounding, turn to 56.

  156

  With bated breath you watch as the warrior kicks the smouldering remains of the iron chest. He scans the warehouse, the visor of his helmet pulsing a dull crimson glow as he tries to locate where you are hiding. Unable to find you, he cradles his weapon and begins a systematic search of the building.

  As he passes beneath the storage tank you seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. You leap onto his back and bring him crashing to the ground. However, you soon discover that he is an exceptionally strong opponent and your advantage of surprise is quickly lost. He draws his power from the armour he wears and you are hard-pressed to maintain your hold on his neck as he wrestles to break free. Then another warrior appears at the rear of the building. He, too, is armed with a magical spear. He aims this weapon at you and a flash of light erupts from its tip.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If your current ENDURANCE points score is 12 or less, deduct 2 from the number you have picked.

  If your total is now 0 or less, turn to 93.

  If it is 1 or more, turn to 63.

  157

  The moment you destroy the mechanism, you feel a shuddering vibration run through the great iron portal. Slowly it grinds open to reveal an antechamber that is lit by a dozen flaming torches set around its glassy walls. The wind has now become so fierce that it is ripping your exposed flesh. Rather than remain outside in the storm a moment longer, you hurry through the open portal and seek shelter within.

  Turn to 227.

  158

  Despite your desperate action, you continue to sink further into this dry bog until the soil closes in over your head. You draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus to ease the pain in your aching lungs, but this simply prolongs your life for a further fifteen minutes before the lack of air and the crushing weight of the morass combine to overwhelm you.

  Tragically, your life and your duel end here.

  159

  You insert the Iron Disc and the portal slides open to reveal an impressive sight. The chamber beyond is stacked to the ceiling with coils of wire and solid bars made of pure platinum. These items are worth a vast fortune on your home world of Magnamund. (If you wish to take a Platinum Ingot, record it on your Action Chart. Due to its weight, however, it occupies the same space as 2 Backpack Items.)

  To leave this chamber and continue, turn to 330.

  160

  The passage beyond the fissure twists and turns like an angry snake. Gradually this winding tunnel bears eastwards and descends by slope and stair into deeper levels of the catacombs. During your long trek you detect not a single trace of the impostor and, when eventually the tunnel comes to a dead end, you curse your ill luck. Reluctantly you decide to retrace your steps. It is only then that you sense a faint but lingering aura of Evil close to the tunnel floor.

  A closer inspection reveals a trapdoor set into the grimy flagstones. You pull this heavy hatch open and discover a circular chute and a ladder descending into darkness. Your heart misses a beat when you notice fresh tracks on the ladder's iron rungs; at last you have found 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 forbidden place, turn to 206.

  161

  You approach the open door and pause momentarily to check that no glyphs or other traps have been placed here. The doorway is clear, and you can detect no lingering residues of magical energy that might betray the presence of illusions or shielding spells, so you rush through it and hurry down the flight of steps that descends beneath the ground.

  The steps lead down to a tunnel that is dark and narrow. You sense danger ahead and, using your infravision, you detect Wolf's Bane standing at the far end of this passageway, some thirty yards distant. He is holding a long piece of rope which trails back along the tunnel towards you. You follow its course and see that it is attached to a wooden peg which holds secure the door to a cage set flush into the tunnel wall. You focus on the door and sense that the cage beyond is occupied by a large and ferocious carnivore. Wolf's Bane utters a chilling laugh as he whips the rope to dislodge the peg. But you focus on the peg and, using your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, you cause it to jam. Your adversary curses you and casts aside the rope in frustration. Then he turns and disappears into a tunnel which meets this main passageway from the left.

  Turn to 344.

  162

  You race towards the swirling mouth of the Shadow Gate, but Naar is determined to launch one last desperate attempt to prevent you from escaping. You are within ten paces of the gate when two of the rubbery-limbed horrors emerge from the smoky walls and hurl themselves upon you.

  Illustration IX—Before you can reach the gate, two of the rubbery- limbed horrors hurl themselves upon you.

  2 Cryopedeans: COMBAT SKILL 38 ENDURANCE 32

  If you win this combat, turn to 350.

  163

  Your defensive blow tears a hole in the creature's silvery wing. The wound is not fatal, but the damage to its wing is enough to render the hungry dragonfly incapable of ascending any higher. It emits a loud buzz of frustration which fades as it slowly spirals away towards a cluster of smaller creatures hovering near the centre of the gorge.

  At length you reach the apex of the cavern and soar into the light-filled vent. Upon entering this vast aperture you are buffeted by crosswinds which sweep you precariously towards its rocky lip. Only your Kai Disciplines and your lightning-swift reactions save you from being crushed to death as you are blown towards its jagged, volcanic edge.

  You survive the impact and are able to haul yourself out of the vent and climb safely onto a surface that you assume to be the roof of the cavern. Seeking shelter from the raging crosswinds, you squeeze yourself into a hollow in the porous rock from where you are able to take stock of your new surroundings. The sight makes you gasp, for it is a view that truly rivals the fertile wonders of the cavern below.

  Turn to 239.

  164

  Wary of the uncertain floor of this hall, you utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell Levitation and feel yourself rising slowly to the ceiling. Using the gaps between the bricks in the arched roof, you pull yourself along the ceiling until you reach the far end of the hall. Fortunately, the door is unlocked and you are able to open it with your foot and lower yourself safely through its archway and into the hall beyond.

  Turn to 62.

  165

  You soon realize that the creature's iron collar and chain prevent it from reaching you so long as you keep your back pressed to the cavern wall. Mindful of this, you inch your way slowly towards the tunnel. However, you have progressed only a few yards when you feel the floor sloping away. The water is getting deeper.

  If you possess Magi-magic and have attained the rank of Grand Thane or higher, turn to 234.

  If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline or have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 25.

  166

  Fortunately your attempt to evade this magical missile is successful. The onrushing bolt hits you only a glancing blow (lose
1 ENDURANCE point) before it slams into the wall of the shaft, showering you with harmless crimson sparks.

  Make the necessary adjustment to your Action Chart and then continue by turning to 37.

  167

  Once more you focus your advanced Kai senses on the gloomy entrance to the tomb. You can detect no living creature or imminent threat of ambush, yet the area around the doorway radiates traces of a malevolent magic that makes you deeply suspicious. However, you are mindful of the fact that the impostor has entered the catacombs by this door, and the longer you delay in tracking him, the more he increases his chances of successfully evading your hunting party.

  If you wish to suppress your sense of unease and enter the tomb, turn to 72.

  If you choose to heed your senses and examine the entrance more closely, turn to 173.

  168

  Carefully you lower yourself through the hole and drop silently to the floor of the cellar beneath. You remain crouched where you land, not daring to move a muscle until you have scoured the darkness for any potential threat to your life. You detect an area of warmth radiating from behind a stack of rotting timbers and slowly you inch towards it, your weapon drawn in readiness to strike.

  You have moved to within a few yards of the timber pile and feel confident that you have tracked down your enemy.

  ‘Come out, Wolf's Bane!’ you shout. ‘Don't hide from me like some cowardly dog!’

  You sense movement and draw back your weapon in anticipation of your enemy's imminent attack. Then a loud, inhuman, blood-curdling howl issues from behind the pile of timber and in a terrifying moment your confidence is shattered. The enemy confronting you is not Wolf's Bane.

  You glimpse the shadowy blur of a huge, black shape rising up from behind the timbers. Fangs gleam momentarily in the gloom as it opens its cavernous maw, and then, in the blink of an eye, it leaps over the pile and falls upon you.

  Kataka: COMBAT SKILL 42 ENDURANCE 40

  This creature is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.

  If you win the combat, turn to 333.

  169

  You hit the stinking water and dive beneath the surface. Your swift reactions save you from being hit and wounded, but when you rise from the stinking mire and claw the muck from your eyes, you are horrified to see the serpent's tail swishing back towards your chest.

  Instinctively you throw yourself flat against the wall and its deadly barbed tail misses you by inches. As it sweeps past, you draw your weapon in readiness to strike out at it the moment it comes within range.

  Ukara (chained): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 45

  This serpent is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge.

  If you win the combat, turn to 348.

  170

  For what seems like an eternity, you plummet into the swirling heart of a supernatural vortex. Brilliant sparks and flashes of colour illuminate this funnel of darkness as items of furniture from the banquet hall explode and disintegrate, unable to withstand the extraordinary pressures generated by this cosmic whirlpool. You watch with shock and awe as the lifeless body of your adversary — Wolf's Bane — is transformed into a fiery meteor before your very eyes. Then, gradually, the spin of the vortex becomes less fierce and you feel the centripetal pull on your body easing. Beams of light penetrate the darkness and you see Alyss glide into view. She appears to be reclining, as if casually resting upon a couch after a weary day's work, and her expression is mildly pensive. She looks as if to her this whole terrifying journey is nothing more than an irritating inconvenience.

  At last the vortex slows to a standstill and you feel ground solidifying beneath your feet. But the darkness gives way to a swirling mist which dissolves to reveal a horrifying sight. A deep and morbid terror returns to twist its knife in your guts when you suddenly realize where you are. You have been summoned to the throne hall of Naar — the seat of power of the King of the Darkness — the inner sanctum of ultimate Evil.

  Turn to 331.

  171

  Frantically you examine the portcullis, searching for some chink in its armour that you can exploit to your advantage. It is crudely constructed from criss-crossing strands of iron and steel, bolted and riveted wherever the bars connect, yet despite its crude appearance you soon discover that it is very tough and secure. You will not be able to break through this portal.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and have attained the rank of Sun Knight or higher, turn to 272.

  If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline or have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 55.

  172

  You muster your skill and plunge your hand into the water, close to where the creature's head has surfaced. In an instant, the black water around its neck and body freezes over, trapping and crushing the beast within a solid block of ice.

  Free now to continue your pursuit, you leave the frozen cellar-beast and climb the steps to emerge amongst the ruins of the city. There is no sign of Wolf's Bane, but when you hurry to where you saw him last, you discover a flight of steps leading down into a wide underground passage. His tracks can be seen clearly embedded in the muddy floor of this tunnel.

  The tunnel passes under a broad avenue and then surfaces in front of a grand two-storey building. This was once a busy warehouse that stored braided coils of fine copper cable. You avoid the main entrance in case your adversary is lying in ambush there, and enter instead by way of a flight of iron steps that leads to a second floor window. The moment you set foot inside the building you sense that Wolf's Bane is here. Warily you explore, your nerves stretched to breaking point as your eyes seek out detail in the darkness. You are approaching the west wing of this building when you suddenly catch sight of your opponent through a hole in the floor. He is sitting on his haunches behind a mound of wooden crates, busily eating a green-skinned fruit, and he is unaware that you are watching him.

  If you possess Magi-magic and have attained the rank of Grand Thane (and wish to use your skill), turn to 81.

  If you possess a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 106.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 319.

  If you possess none of these skills, or have yet to reach the required level of Kai rank, or simply choose not to use them, turn instead to 20.

  173

  Cautiously you inch your way nearer to the open tomb. Lying across the threshold is a slab of stone which stirs your curiosity. A closer inspection reveals an intricate design scratched upon its surface. It has been smeared with dirt and a magical spell of shielding has been placed upon it to disguise its true purpose. Yet you realize immediately 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 warn the others of what you have found and tell 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 selects an apple-sized chunk of granite and lobs it accurately into the open tomb.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If the number you have chosen is 0–4, turn to 211.

  If it is 5–9, turn to 53.

  174

  The moment you enter the mouth of the skull-rock you are engulfed by a dense fog that is icy cold and impenetrable to your sight and senses. The thunderous noise of the temple's destruction ends abruptly, as if a great door has suddenly been closed upon it. You strain your Kai skills to aid your pursuit of Wolf's Bane but to no avail; the ivory-white fog hides everything, swamping and distorting your 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 wanderin
g 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 remains 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.

  You examine the paved surface of the street and detect your enemy's footprints. They are fresh and they lead you to a small courtyard flanked by two buildings: a large municipal hall and a smaller two-storey dwelling. Wolf's Bane's tracks end in the middle of the wet courtyard and you sense that they have been deliberately erased. Despite your advanced hunting skills, you are unable to determine into which building your enemy has escaped.