by Joe Dever
If you do not possess this skill, or if you choose not to use it, turn to 247.
276
You make your way towards the avenue and select an ideal place from where you can launch an ambush. Twenty minutes tick by before you see two armoured humanoids approaching. One walks several paces behind the other, but both are on their way towards the tower. At first you are discouraged that there are two, fearing that an ambush will be harder to effect. But as they draw closer you note that neither appears to be carrying weapons.
You let the first warrior pass and then you strike the second one, dragging him off the street and into the dark alley where you have been lying in wait. A sharp blow beneath the chin-guard of his helmet renders him unconscious, and swiftly you begin to strip away his armour. All is going to plan until a scraping noise behind alerts you to trouble. His companion has noticed that he is alone and has retraced his steps to investigate the sudden disappearance of his brother-in-arms.
You are holding an armoured breastplate in both hands when he comes striding into the alley. You hurl it at him, hoping to buy yourself a few precious seconds in which you can unsheathe your weapon, but the warrior bats it aside and attempts to close his hands around your throat.
Illustration XV—The warrior bats your weapon aside and attempts to close his hands around your throat.
Manoyd (with power gloves): COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 40
Unless you possess Grand Weaponmastery and have attained the rank of Grand Crown, you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 4 for the duration of this fight.17
If you win the combat, turn to 289.
[17] This penalty does not appear to follow the rule that Grand Masters who fight unarmed lose no COMBAT SKILL. It is not clear whether this is an intentional exception to the rules or whether this is an accidental use of the rules for the earlier Magnakai and Kai series.
277
You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and point your right index finger at the iron pot. There is a flash of bluish light and then an arc of crackling electricity leaps from your finger to strike the top of the pot, blowing a fist-sized chunk of rusty iron out of its turned rim. One of the creatures is killed instantly by the blast and the other is stunned when the electrical charge is earthed along the supporting chain.
You sense that the surviving creature is only temporarily incapacitated; it will soon revive and it will be sure to attempt to avenge its dead companion by shooting at you with its bow. Mindful of the pending danger, you hurriedly examine the portal for a lever or some other means to make it rise.
Turn to 18.
278
You escape through the steel roof of the tower and catch a fleeting glimpse of the rain-swept city far below. Suddenly there is a tremendous flash, followed almost immediately by the concussive blast from an enormous explosion. A debris-laden shock wave hits you from behind, flattens you against the dragonfly's crusty neck, and leaves you bleeding from several minor wounds: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
Fortunately your winged mount survives the shock wave unscathed and is propelled upwards at greater speed into the base of the thick storm clouds.
Turn to 310.
279
You press the index finger of your right hand against the plant wall and whisper the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand. You feel a tingling sensation run down your arm and then a crackling flame ignites at your fingertip which burns a neat hole through the stem. Then, quite suddenly, the sap within the plant wall catches fire and within seconds you find yourself trapped inside a roaring cocoon of fire.
The highly flammable sap feeds the flames, and the temperature rapidly increases until the inside of the stem becomes as hot as a blazing furnace. Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Nexus, you lose 5 ENDURANCE points before the flames die down and you are able to burst free from the smouldering stem.
To continue, turn to 230.
280
‘Come, Grand Master. You're going home,’ she says, and she takes you by the hand and leads you to the middle of the banquet hall, to a place directly opposite the great fireplace. ‘But first we must make preparations for the journey.’
Alyss then proceeds to tell you to use your advanced Kai Mastery to mask the goodly aura that radiates naturally from your mind and body. When you have done as she requests, she touches the Platinum Amulet which you wear around your neck and smiles.
‘Good, good,’ she enthuses, ‘this bauble will take care of the rest.’
She then takes a piece of limestone from her pocket and proceeds to draw a pentagram on the floor of the hall. She has half completed the complicated design when suddenly she becomes agitated.
‘Must hurry,’ she mumbles, ‘must, must hurry.’
Suddenly the fire in the hearth flares brightly. The flames begin to grow and whirl and slowly change colour.
‘It's no good!’ cries Alyss, tearful with frustration. Angrily she casts her chunk of crumbling limestone at the roaring flames and then leaps to her feet and comes rushing to your side. ‘It's too late!’ she screams, her voice now barely audible above the unnatural crackling of the fire. ‘Naar is summoning his champion!’
Illustration XVI—‘It's too late!’ screams Alyss. ‘Naar is summoning his champion!’
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 273.
If it is 5–9, turn to 67.
281
You draw upon all of your defensive Kai Disciplines to protect you from the effects of the vortex. The agony abates, but the effort depletes your reserves of mental and physical stamina: lose 5 ENDURANCE points.
As the pain melts, so the strands of light unravel themselves and dissolve. As the silvery cloud disappears, you find yourself plummeting ever nearer to the blazing heart of this cosmic whirlpool. Then, at the moment you plunge into its core, your senses are obliterated and you are engulfed by a total darkness.
From out of the depths of this cold, dark universe there appears a pinpoint of light. You feel yourself being drawn inexorably towards it and, although you struggle to resist, you cannot tear yourself free from its irresistible pull. You feel yourself accelerating towards the speck until it becomes as large as a glowing sun. Then, with an abruptness that leaves you gasping, there is a flash of blue-white light and you find yourself lying spread-eagled upon a bed of moist green foliage.
Turn to 49.
282
Desperately you scramble across the throne hall and leap towards the swirling maw of this supernatural portal, but your entry is barred by a horde of shrieking horrors which materialize from the smoke surrounding the circumference of the Shadow Gate. Immediately you recognize them and your heart sinks — they are Crypt Spawn.
Now Naar himself is aware of your true identity and he is determined not to let you escape from the Plane of Darkness.
If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 3.
If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 123.
283
Unable to decipher the code, you decide instead to attempt to dismantle the locking mechanism. Using the buckle of your belt, you work it between the gemstone lockplates and attempt to prise them away. It is a difficult and delicate procedure, made doubly so by the increasing ferocity of the storm which is tearing through the fabric of your cloak and tunic: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
After several painful minutes you succeed in lifting off the gemstone plates. But this does not release the locking mechanism; it simply exposes it to the elements. In order to force the door to open you must now physically destroy the exposed mechanism.
Temple Portal: COMBAT SKILL 50 ENDURANCE 50
Conduct a combat in the usual manner. Any ENDURANCE points lost by yourself result from the effects of prolonged exposure to the storm.
If you succeed in reducing the door's ENDURANCE score to zero or below before losing all of your own, turn to 157.
284
Nim
bly you dodge aside, but droplets of the creature's drool splash your arm and shoulder to burn straight through your tunic with frightening speed. You immediately call upon your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus for protection against this acidic saliva, but the substance is highly corrosive and your innate skill is hard-pressed to provide you with adequate protection.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table (0=10). The resultant score is equal to the number of ENDURANCE points you lose due to the effects of this acid on your skin and muscle.
If you wish to attack the creature that has spat at you, turn to 141.
If you wish to evade this creature, turn to 91.
285
Warily you approach the settlement, your keen senses absorbing every detail. The line of deserted mud huts looks innocuous, but the words of the voice of Naar still linger in your memory. This humid jungle realm lies within his domain; it is therefore reasonable to expect the inhabitants of this place to be wholly devoted to the cause of Evil.
You reach the edge of the undergrowth and pause to assess potential threats. The huts are semi-derelict, all bearing some signs of neglect and decay. The clay-tiled hovel that Wolf's Bane entered appears to be empty, but when you focus upon its open doorway, you see what appears to be a trench cut into the earth. You magnify your vision and at once you see steps in the wall of this excavation. Your heart sinks: Wolf's Bane has escaped underground.
If you wish to enter the hut and follow your enemy without further delay, turn to 161.
If you choose to investigate the hut to check for traps, turn to 188.
286
Obediently, Black Hawk stands aside. You cast your eyes over the surface of the north wall for one last time, to satisfy yourself that you can detect no lurking traps, and when you are fully confident that it is safe you take up your weapon and put it to the crack in the wall. Because you are so sure that there is no threat, what occurs in the next instant is doubly shocking.
You press forward with all of your weight yet, unexpectedly, you meet with no resistance. Your weapon disappears into the wall and you stumble forward to plunge through seemingly solid granite. For a second or two you are consumed by total darkness; then an explosion of white light obliterates your vision and you feel yourself being hurled backwards by a searing wave of heat.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table (0=10). Now add 2 to the number you have picked. The resultant total is the number of ENDURANCE points you have lost as a consequence of this explosion.
Make the appropriate adjustment to your Action Chart and continue by turning to 154.
287
As you climb the stairs, you are filled with a growing sense of uncertainty and dread as you ponder what may yet await you in this alien tower. However, these feelings of impending doom are quickly banished when you reach the third level, for here you pick up the trail of your adversary. Your tracking skills determine that his trail is fresh and you pursue it eagerly.
You pass through a maze of empty passageways which lead eventually to a large, circular hall. Cautiously you approach the entrance and peer inside. Your tracking skills and your curiosity are handsomely rewarded when you see Wolf's Bane; he is standing alone and he is unaware that you have found him.
Turn to 100.
288
Quickly you take the incendiary from your Backpack, prime its crude detonator, and hurl it at the hanging cauldron. There is a splash of oily yellow flame as it impacts and smashes against the lip of the iron pot; then, in a terrifying instant, the two reptilians are consumed in a roaring ball of fire. You watch with shocked fascination as they shriek their last and tumble from the pot to splash, like two fiery meteors, into the mire.
You turn your eyes away from the terrible sight and, to your amazement, you see the portal beginning to rise of its own accord. You wait until it has risen a few feet and you are sure that no enemy awaits you on the other side; 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, sealing away the smouldering remains of your two would-be assassins.
Turn to 115.
289
You drag the body of the dead Manoyd into the ruins of a house and cover it with rubble. Then you put on the armour, which you have stripped from the unconscious Manoyd, and lower the visor of the helmet to hide your face. A black haversack taken from the warrior provides you with a convenient means to hide your own weapons, equipment, and cloak.
After checking that the avenue is clear, you emerge from the alley and stride boldly towards the tower. On reaching the edge of this windswept canyon, you hear the distant clang of a bell and watch as the drawbridge extends from beneath the portal to span the chasm. You march across, trying not to look down through the semi-transparent bridge to the dark floor of the moat that lies thousands of feet below, and enter the tower's great portal.
Turn to 124.
290
Your experienced eye is drawn to the chamber's north wall. You step closer and magnify your vision, which enables you to detect two faint hairline cracks in the damp granite surface. They run vertically from the floor to the ceiling and appear to be the outline of a secret panel. But all is not what it seems. You utter the words of the advanced Brotherhood Spell See Illusion, and the truth is swiftly revealed. The panel does not exist: it is a skilful illusion. With the memory of the power-glyph you encountered at the tomb entrance still fresh in your mind, you command your companions to stand with their backs against the south wall. Then you scoop a handful of gravel from the floor and hurl it at the north wall. There is a sudden flash of blue-white light which melts into a shower of hissing sparks as the gravel passes through the illusory panel, dissipating its energy.
‘Just as I thought — another trick!’ you say, as you unsheathe your weapon and signal to your comrades to follow your lead. ‘Be on your guard, my lords. We're hunting a cunning foe.’
Turn to 345.
291
Unfortunately your attempt to evade this magical missile is unsuccessful. A white-hot spike of pain penetrates deep into your chest as the onrushing bolt hits you and slams you against the moving wall of the shaft: lose 6 ENDURANCE points.
If you survive this wounding, adjust your Action Chart accordingly.
To continue, turn to 37.
292
You extend your right arm and point your hand at the stone trough. Then you speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and a familiar tingle rushes along your arm to explode into life at the tip of your index finger. A bolt of blue fire arcs towards the trough and with a deafening wumph! it ignites the liquid to create a blazing fireball. Greedily, this guttering ball of flame consumes the creatures gathered around the lip of the trough.
Turn to 204.
293
You concentrate upon the entrance to the tunnel as you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Teleport. You feel a power building deep within your body, a power you are able to contain until the moment comes to release it. As soon as the writhing giant serpent twists away from the tunnel mouth, you channel the spell's energy into propelling you across the cavern. Within seconds you are able to reach the safety of the exit and make your escape unscathed.
Use of this spell drains you of 5 ENDURANCE points. Make the necessary adjustment to your Action Chart before continuing.
Turn to 115.
294
Less than a hundred paces along this tunnel you come to a narrow hall which is lined with shelves. These thin and ancient beams sag under the weight of a strange collection of bones, stones, shells, ornaments, and other curios. The uppermost shelves are crowded with books, all old, dusty, and damaged.
You are advancing past the shelves, towards a door at the end of the hall, when a strange sound makes you freeze in your tracks. Something is moving behind the books on the top shelf. You tilt your head to look and find yourself staring into the corpse-green eyes of a round, pudding-sha
ped creature. It seems to be smiling, but then it purses its bulbous lips and spits a stream of smoke-coloured fluid at your face.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 4 or less, turn to 284.
If it is 5 or higher, turn to 117.
295
The creature's sharp proboscis penetrates your Backpack and gouges a furrow of skin from your ribs: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
Before it can strike again, you prise yourself out of the sticky cluster and retreat back along the stamen until you are out of harm's way. Excited by the taste of your warm blood, the giant insect stabs and slashes wildly, 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 injuries.
Turn to 305.
296
The triumphant sneer dies on Wolf's Bane's face the instant he realizes that his winged minion has disappeared and that you are still alive. He recoils, his mouth gaping and his eyes wide with disbelief. As he retreats, he brushes against Alyss and utters a yelp of fright. His abject fear, however, soon transforms into blind fury.
