by Joe Dever
If you wish to fight them, turn to 202.
If you wish to dive over the parapet of the bridge to avoid them, turn to 342.
185
You are hungry and must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. (If you possess the Kai Discipline of Hunting, you are unable to use it within the Maaken Mines to hunt for food.) You then continue along the tunnel, which runs for several miles before eventually arriving at a long, deserted gallery.
Turn to 40.
186
The Vassagonian bandits break cover and charge, and you give the order to fire. A cloud of arrows sweeps down upon the armour-clad men, the hardened tips penetrating their scarlet plate. The first wave of assailants tumbles and falls; the second wave falters. Another volley forces them back, and they retreat to the ruins to reorganize themselves.
Here and there, groups of bandit warriors have survived the hail of death and reached the barricade. Most are slain as they try to enter, but a small and determined section of their boldest fighters have broken through close to where you stand. Suddenly, a thick-bodied warrior with oily, black hair tied in a knot at the back of his scarred head leaps onto the wagon and attacks you.
Vassagonian Warrior: COMBAT SKILL 18 ENDURANCE 25
You can evade combat at any time by jumping from the wagon. Turn to 66.
If you win the fight, turn to 243.
187
Discarding your torch as you emerge into the early morning sun, you signal to your men to gather round. Only a small fraction of your original company remains, and you must now decide the best course of action. However, as you are about to address them you are rudely interrupted.
Turn to 164.
188
You order your men to prepare graves for the two corpses before returning to the shelter of the marble canopy. You are hungry and must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. You mount guard around the ruined temple and preparations are made for some much needed sleep.
Turn to 233.
189
You try to row the shattered boat towards the far bank, but as the oars dip below the surface they are wrenched from your grasp. Wide-eyed with horror, you watch as a ranger is dragged screaming into the dark river by a thick slimy tentacle. Suddenly, there is a tremendous crack as another tentacle punches its way up through the hull. The attack is so violent that the rowing boat is lifted into the air, and you tumble head over heels into the icy water.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 234.
If it is 5–9, turn to 47.
190
You emerge from the tunnel, curse your delay, and press on along the other passage as quickly as possible.
Turn to 335.
191
You soon reach a junction where the track meets the main highway. Abandoned at the side of the road is a burnt-out wagon.
If you wish to examine the wagon, turn to 337.
If you decide to ignore the wreck, you can continue your ride south along the highway, by turning to 297.
192
You are less than five feet from the door when a bandit warrior comes rushing in. Instinctively, you step aside but not in time to avoid the serrated tip of his halberd. The cold steel sinks into your chest, and you stare down in horror as blood begins to flow and pain spreads through your body. Your wound is fatal and you die within seconds of hitting the floor.
Your life and your mission end here.
193
The snarling Warhounds bound towards the barricade, their gaping eyes glowing crimson in the light of battle. Leaping from the bodies of the dead and dying, they launch themselves at the Sommlending defenders. All around you, soldiers are being torn from the line, bowled over by the leaping Warhounds. You back away as a howling dog crashes through the wall of sacks and barrels, but before it has risen, you move swiftly forward and dispatch it with one blow to the head. Another Warhound claws your back and pitches you forward into the collapsed barricade, but before you can free yourself, yet two more dogs have sunk their fangs into your leg.
Illustration XI—The snarling Warhounds bound towards the barricade.
Vassagonian Warhounds: COMBAT SKILL 17 ENDURANCE 30
If you are still alive after two rounds of combat or if you have won in the first two rounds, turn to 311.
194
You are winded by the blow to your chest and flung backwards into the icy cold water. You surface, but barely in time to catch a breath before a tentacle coils around your legs and drags you down.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table, and note this number down in the margin of your Action Chart. (In this case 0 = 10 instead of zero). This number represents the number of combat rounds that you can endure underwater before you begin to lose additional ENDURANCE points due to lack of oxygen. If you have the Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter, you can add 2 to the number you have picked.
Giant Meresquid: COMBAT SKILL 16 ENDURANCE 37
Fight this combat in the normal way. If the fight lasts longer than the number of rounds you can endure underwater, you will lose an additional 2 ENDURANCE points for every round of combat thereafter due to lack of oxygen.
If you win the combat, turn to 32.
195
You hear the thud of a heavy drawbar sliding back, and a burly man dressed in a leather jerkin appears at the tavern door. ‘Welcome to my humble inn, my lord. Pardon my suspicion, but this is a very dangerous area; one mistake can cost us our lives.’
You signal to your men to stable their horses, and you follow the innkeeper into his tavern. The bar looks more like an armoury than a drinking hall. Quivers of arrows stand beside each of the iron-studded window shutters, and racks of spears line the far wall. The place is deserted except for three young men who all bear a strong resemblance to the tavern-keeper. One of them has his head swathed in bandages.
You ask the tavern-keeper how much he will charge for your men to billet here tonight and are quite surprised to hear his reply. ‘Nothing,’ he says, moving tables aside so that your rangers can sleep upon the tavern floor. ‘Your presence here tonight will be worth more than gold to us. We've been attacked by bandits every night since the last full moon.’
As the last of your men return from the stables, the doors are closed and barred. It has started to rain and your men seem greatly relieved to be inside where it is warm and dry.
If you wish to question the tavern-keeper about the nature of the bandit raids, turn to 239.
If you wish to question him about any news that he may have heard about Ruanon in the last month, then turn to 266.
If you do not wish to question the man further, you can prepare for a night's sleep and turn to 324.
196
A bolt of lightning gashes the stormy sky, illuminating the figures of the bandits as they creep into the stables. Crouching on the balcony, you signal to your men to prepare themselves. Dropping onto the stable roof, you discover to your dismay that the clay tiles are wafer-thin and splinter beneath your weight; you crash straight through the flimsy roof into the hay below. Luckily you are unharmed by the fall and quickly regain your feet, but a bandit stands barely inches from your face, his sword raised to strike.
Bandit Warrior: COMBAT SKILL 16 ENDURANCE 23
You cannot evade combat.
If you win, turn to 217.
197
You toss a rock along the tunnel to attract the guards' attention. It works! Within seconds you can hear footsteps approaching. You attack. The guards barely have time to gasp as your men leap out of the darkness and overpower them. Once disarmed, their hands are tied and they are herded back into the well chamber.
If you wish to search them, turn to 268.
If you wish to question them, turn to 76.
If you wish to leave them and continue on your way, turn to 64.
198
The guards are not fooled by your bravado — they draw their weapons and at
tack. You must fight them as one enemy.
Crypt Guards: COMBAT SKILL 18 ENDURANCE 30
If you win the combat, turn to 229.
199
You soon enter a chamber divided by a deep mine shaft. Spanning the shaft is a wooden bridge at the entrance of which a swarthy warrior stands guard. He has been alerted by the screams of your pursuers, and as soon as he sees you, he runs towards a rope that hangs from the ceiling, leaving the bridge unguarded. Your pursuers are nearly upon you.
If you wish to sprint across the bridge, turn to 271.
If you wish to attack the guard to prevent him from reaching the rope, turn to 56.
200
The trees are alive with bandit patrols, but your quick wits and Kai skills prevent you from being seen by them. Eventually you reach the edge of the copse. You find yourself staring out across an expanse of open plain towards Ruanon. The sight that lies before you is very disquieting.
Much of the mining town has been burnt to the ground. The blackened ruins of what were once shops, cottages, and taverns are now little more than smouldering mounds of charcoal. You are beginning to fear the worst, that Ruanon has been totally destroyed, when a gentle breeze clears the haze of wood smoke hanging like a grey curtain over the ruins. Inside the perimeter of ruined buildings, a barricade has been thrown up around a tower of stone. Above the tower, a tattered flag still flies bringing renewed hope; it is the sun-flag of Sommerlund edged with a band of white braid — the cavalry standard of the King's Guard Regiment.
The sudden crack of a twig makes you freeze. You glance behind to see three bandits creeping through the trees towards you. The wide steel tips of their spears glint. They seem to be coated with a clear, sticky fluid.
If you possess the Kai Discipline of Hunting or if you have ever visited Gorn Cove, turn to 45.
If you wish to fight the bandits, turn to 133.
If you wish to evade them, you must run across the open plain towards Ruanon — eight hundred yards away. Turn to 307.
201
The fungi are soft and dry, and they taste dreadful! You retch and choke as the dry, powdery fungi absorb all the saliva in your mouth. You are hit by waves of nausea that make you panic, and desperately you claw at your tongue trying to scrape the fungi from your mouth.
Turn to 65.
202
There are six heavily armed guards and you must fight them one at a time.
Guard 1: COMBAT SKILL 18 ENDURANCE 23
Guard 2: COMBAT SKILL 15 ENDURANCE 24
Guard 3: COMBAT SKILL 15 ENDURANCE 21
Guard 4: COMBAT SKILL 16 ENDURANCE 25
Guard 5: COMBAT SKILL 14 ENDURANCE 24
Guard 6: COMBAT SKILL 14 ENDURANCE 22
You can evade combat at any time by leaping from the bridge. Turn to 342.
If you win the combat, turn to 237.
203
As the guard falls dead at your feet, you spin around in time to see three of your pursuers enter the chamber. They are clad in heavy armour, and each of them carries a vicious-looking halberd.
If you wish to fight them, turn to 108.
If you wish to escape across the bridge, turn to 271.
204
You bypass a village with orange-wood cabins and stone walls, and climb through the tall fields towards a wooded ridge. Beyond the ridge, you enter thick forest and discover a bubbling freshwater stream. You drink deeply and realize how hungry you are. You must eat a Meal here or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
As night falls you reach the city of Maaken. The gaunt, weed-infested ruins of this shattered city are spread like a vast graveyard and bathed in the eerie light of a near-full moon. A sound fills the air like the wailing of lost souls; it is the cry of Maakengorge.
It has been nearly two days since you last slept and fatigue begins to overwhelm you. Drawing your Kai cloak about your shoulders, you settle down to sleep; you will need all your strength for the daunting task that lies ahead.
Turn to 142.
205
The oval door crashes inwards, and a cloud of dust billows out of the hut.
‘I am alone,’ says a voice. ‘You have nothing to fear from me.’
Tightening your grip on your weapon, you cautiously enter the stone hut.
Turn to 84.
206
As the first light of dawn breaks over the eastern horizon, you scan the mist-shrouded highway for any sign of life. None of your scouts have returned, and your remaining four men are visibly anxious. With marauding bandit hordes to the north, hostile mountains to the west and a two-day ride to the nearest town to the east, your choice of action is limited.
If you wish to enter the valley by the highway, turn to 82.
If you wish to enter the valley under the cover of the forest, turn to 226.
207
You snatch an arrow from a quiver hanging on the wall and draw the bowstring taut to your lips. A bandit horseman races across the plain with a javelin held high in his hand. His quarry is a wounded Sommlending soldier, who has fallen from the barricade and lies on the plain, unarmed and helpless. The bandit is poised to throw his javelin when you loose your arrow.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If you possess the Kai Discipline of Weaponskill (any weapon), add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 0–4, turn to 336.
If it is 5–11, turn to 218.
208
You have run less than twenty yards when you reach the end of the tunnel — a solid rock-face. The passage has only recently been excavated, and you are now trapped in a dead end. You hear the footsteps of your pursuers and turn to face them, knowing only too well that your only chances of survival now rest on your ability to be able to fight your way out of this trap and make your way back to the junction where you can take the left-hand tunnel.
Tunnel Guard 1: COMBAT SKILL 15 ENDURANCE 25
Tunnel Guard 2: COMBAT SKILL 15 ENDURANCE 24
Tunnel Guard 3: COMBAT SKILL 14 ENDURANCE 22
If you kill all three guards, turn to 199.
209
The lance has tom through your cloak and pitched you onto your back. You scramble to your feet in time to see the horseman discard his splintered lance and draw a curved broadsword. A wicked smile spreads across his grim features, exposing a jagged line of blackened teeth. He spits out his battle-cry and spurs his horse towards you once more.
Illustration XII—He spits out his battle-cry and spurs his horse towards you once more.
If you have reached the Kai rank of Aspirant or higher, turn to 111.
If you have yet to reach this level of Kai training, turn to 43.
210
You have a very uneasy feeling about this town. So far you have only seen women and children shuffling along the street; there has been no sign of any men whatsoever. The inhabitants all seem nervous and avoid looking you directly in the eye. Instinct tells you to turn around and leave as quickly as possible.
If you wish to follow your instincts, turn to 67.
If you wish to press on regardless of your instincts, you can investigate the tavern by turning to 132.
If you wish to continue along the street, turn to 301.
211
Your tactics have worked. The bandits ignore your small group of horsemen and pursue the others towards the west. Once they reach the wooded foothills of the Durncrag Mountains, your rangers will have no difficulty evading the enemy among the densely packed firs.
When the bandits have disappeared from view, you call a halt and allow your men to rest. In spite of the number of men you have lost, they are still eager to continue the mission.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 51.
If it is 5–9, turn to 120.
212
An overwhelming stench of dampness and decay pervades the shaft. You decide to send one of your men up the ladder to make sure that
it is still secure. All seems well, for he soon reaches the next level and signals you all to follow. The tunnel on the upper level leads to an oval-shaped, rough-hewn chamber where a strange silky fluid coats the floor.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Animal Kinship, turn to 41.
If you do not possess this skill, search for an exit from the chamber and turn to 276.
213
A thorough search uncovers the following items:
Pickaxe
Shovel
Axe
Torch
Tinderbox
Hourglass
If you wish to keep any of these items, remember to mark them on your Action Chart. (The Pickaxe and the Shovel each occupy the same amount of space in your Backpack as two normal items.)
After satisfying yourself that there is nothing else of use in the boathouse, you order your men to launch the rowing boat.
