Trail of the Wolf

by Joe Dever

  Feeling revived after your brief rest, you decide to leave the basin and climb the tallest of the nearby trees in the hope that you can pinpoint your present location. Your effort is rewarded when you see the uppermost towers of Gazad Helkona rising above the tree-line less than fifteen miles to the northeast. With luck you should reach the fortress within four hours.

  It is only an hour later when you happen upon a broad track through the forest. Its loose surface is rutted with wagon tracks, and when you look more closely, you discover evidence of traffic having passed this way recently in both directions. Bordering upon this trail are several prickly shrubs which are covered with tiny purple buds.

  If you wish to examine the purple buds, turn to 81.

  If you choose to ignore the shrubs and follow the trail northwards, turn to 120.

  130

  Your Magnakai Discipline of Curing warns you that most of the substances stored in the vials are either poisons, narcotics, or sorcerous concoctions. From a total of eighty vials, you are able to identify only one that can be used to heal. It is Tortwich (a crystalline salt that will restore 3 ENDURANCE points when consumed after sustaining wounds in combat).

  There is sufficient Tortwich in the vial to provide you with 2 doses. If you wish to keep this curative, remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly.16

  To continue, turn to 30.

  [16] The Tortwich takes up one Backpack slot.

  131

  As the last of the trio falls victim to your deadly blows, you step away from his crumpled body and sheathe your bloodied weapon. Your senses detect that there are no other bandits lurking in this chamber, and when you scour its walls and furnishings, you realize that it is a mess hall used by Xaol's bandit mercenaries and guards. Stale fragments of food litter the tables, and the acrid smell of wine and torch oil hangs heavily in the clammy air.

  There is a trapdoor located near the tunnel exit from this hall, and on closer examination you discover that it covers a chute. Judging from the foul stench arising from this opening, you determine that the chute must descend to a cesspool located somewhere deep below the fortress blockhouse. To reduce the risk of their bodies ever being found, you drop the slain bandits down the chute and then push the trapdoor shut.

  If you now wish to search the mess hall, turn to 333.

  If you wish to leave the hall via the tunnel exit, turn to 55.

  132

  You find your precious weapon and grasp hold of it firmly by the hilt. As you are getting to your feet, you suddenly become aware of the arrival of a new and powerful evil in this hall. Instinctively you look to the crystal sphere, and your heart sinks when you see that its swirling black vapours are now oozing through the glassy surface. These sinister wisps of darkness draw together and swirl around the throne of bones like a small tornado. Then, from the core of this whirlwind, there issues a loud and hideous shriek that makes your blood run cold.

  If you have ever visited the city of Duadon in a previous Lone Wolf New Order adventure, turn to 255.

  If you have not, turn to 136.

  133

  Hurriedly you retrieve the Rope from your Backpack and make one end of it into a lasso. Then you cast this loop around a rock which is embedded in the wall of the gully, and drag yourself out of the dust. The sides of the ravine are steep but the rocks and boulders which pepper its surface make it easy for you to climb. Swiftly you ascend to the top of the gully where you take shelter from the wind behind a rocky knoll. As you settle yourself into a hollow beside a pillar of jagged stone, you are startled by a loud screeching caw that echoes in the dark skies above.

  Turn to 295.

  134

  You feel power surging in the haft of the crystal rod, but no matter how hard you try, you cannot make this weapon discharge a bolt of energy. Your Kai Sixth Sense screams a dire warning that the rod is now surging out of control: it is going to explode!

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If the number you have picked is 0–5, turn to 193.

  If it is 6–8, turn to 26.

  If it is 9, turn to 323.

  135

  As you cross the hall and approach the iron steps, your Kai Sixth Sense warns you that you are walking towards an electrical force field. This invisible barrier lies between the two obsidian pillars, and it draws its power from magic contained within the silver runes. If you pass between the pillars you will cause the force field to discharge a powerful blast of electrical energy that could prove fatal.

  Aware of the danger, you look around the hall in search of something that you can use to break the invisible barrier. Unfortunately, the hall seems to be devoid of small objects.

  If you possess Elementalism and wish to use it, turn to 331.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 349.

  If you possess a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 99.

  If you possess neither of these skills, nor a Bow, or if you should choose not to use any of them, turn instead to 181.

  136

  Your Kai Sixth Sense screams a warning that this whirling black tornado is a manifestation of Zorkaan the Soultaker, the evil entity that abducted Lone Wolf and brought him here to Gazad Helkona. Fear wells up in the pit of your stomach as the terrible screech of this ethereal monster rises in level. When the pitch of his cry ascends beyond the normal range of your hearing, suddenly your head is filled with excruciating pain.

  If you possess Kai-screen, turn to 309.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 88.

  137

  The deadly missiles smash into the parapet and whistle past your ears, dangerously close. One bolt clips the collar of your tunic within an inch of your throat, and another creases your scalp: lose 2 ENDURANCE points. Blood trickles down the side of your face as you duck behind the safety of the parapet. These Drakkarim warriors are a determined enemy, and you know that you must do everything in your power to prevent them from reaching the roof if you are to have any hope of escaping from Gazad Helkona alive.

  Turn to 220.

  138

  Your advanced powers of healing enable you to quickly overcome the venom that is coursing through your veins. You are able to neutralize the powerful toxins (deduct 2 ENDURANCE points from your current total) and reduce the swelling at the site of the wound.

  To continue, turn to 330.

  139

  Quickly you retrieve the Kraan Pipe from your Backpack and blow it. This crude device emits a shrill, discordant noise that makes you shiver with discomfort.

  If you possess Bardsmanship and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Master Superior, turn to 259.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 213.

  140

  Torn and bleeding, you struggle to your feet and gasp with disbelief when you see the possessed body of Xaol standing before you. An unholy fire blazes in the eyes of the dead necromancer as his corpse begins to move across the hall with unnatural speed. You pray to the Goddess Ishir for her protection as this ghastly zombie leaps upon you and attempts to fix its corpse-cold hands around your throat.

  Xaol Zombie (possessed by Zorkaan): COMBAT SKILL 55 ENDURANCE 43

  This possessed creature is immune to psychic attack. If your Kai Weapon is ‘Alema’ or ‘Valiance’, you may add the appropriate bonus gained through their unique properties. You may reduce the total damage inflicted upon you by 5 ENDURANCE points due to the protection you gain from wearing the Platinum Amulet. However, unless you possess the Discipline of Kai-screen, you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 3 for the duration of this combat.

  Conduct this combat in the normal way for three rounds only. If you survive these initial rounds, you may continue by turning to 260.

  141

  The wolfhound slows its pace and turns towards the statue. Quickly you unshoulder your pack and tip the Dargorse Buds out onto the floor. Then you slip away and take cover behind the next statue in the line. The slavering hound com
es loping around the first statue and begins to snuffle among the buds. It is now that you notice there are two other items lying on the floor, they fell from your pack when you jettisoned the buds (erase from your Action Chart the items you have recorded in the second and third spaces of your list of Backpack Items).

  Suddenly the wolfhound emits a loud yelp of pain, and you see its nose redden and swell. The buds contain a powerful irritant that has inflamed the lining of the creature's nostrils. The hound howls with pain and the bandits howl with laughter when they see its bright red nose. As the injured wolfhound lopes away, the bandits stop to investigate the cause of its misfortune.

  If you wish to leave your hiding place and attempt to slip past the bandits while they are examining your lost Backpack Items, turn to 327.

  If you wish to stay hidden behind the statue, turn to 35.

  142

  An unexpected wave of fatigue washes over your body, leaving you feeling weak and sleepy. You draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to counter the seductive effect of the spider's hypnotic powers, and at once the creature senses your resistance. Fearing that you may escape its clutches, it raises its great hairy forelegs and squirts forth a jet of clear fluid from a vent below its maw. Desperately you attempt to dive aside as this stream of sticky liquid comes gushing towards your chest.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.

  If your total score is 5 or lower, turn to 346.

  If it is 6 or higher, turn to 224.

  143

  You fight with such ice-cool nerve and deadly precision that the few Drakkarim who survive the combat immediately break and flee, convinced that they face an immortal warrior. As you watch them scrambling headlong down the stairs, a sudden shriek echoes across the observatory platform, making you glance over your shoulder in fearful anticipation.

  Turn to 264.

  144

  Cursing your ill fortune, you pull yourself to your feet and make a second attempt to scale this difficult wall.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess a Rope, add 1.

  If your total score is now 5 or lower, turn to 249.

  If it is 6 or higher, turn to 94.

  145

  You rush towards the sphere with the intention of kicking it from its pedestal, but as you bring back your foot in readiness to strike, suddenly the dark shadow of Zorkaan falls upon you and launches a massive psychic attack from close range.

  If you possess Kai-screen, turn to 185.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 296.

  146

  Silently you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Mind Charm and focus the power of this spell at the seated Krorn. You command the creature to put down its bowl of gruel and lie upon the floor. It complies with your orders, and when you command it further to go to sleep, it curls up into a ball and begins to snore softly.

  Having rendered the tower lookout unconscious, you squeeze through the arrow slit and jump down into the chamber unopposed.

  Turn to 101.

  147

  By the use of your mastery of Grand Nexus, you are able to unlock this door with ease. You twist its steel handle and the door swings open silently. As you step through into the hall beyond, it closes behind you with a dull boom.

  Turn to 300.

  148

  To your dismay, the Urgaroh quickly recovers from the impact of your spell. It pulls itself to its feet and levels its crystal rod at your head. In desperation, you take hold of your Kai Weapon by the hilt, draw it back behind your head, and then hurl it at the Urgaroh with as much force and accuracy as you can muster.

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

  If your total score is now 0–5, turn to 175.

  If it is 6–8, turn to 80.

  If it is 9 or higher, turn to 182.

  149

  You draw upon your improved Kai Mastery in order to conjure a mist in the hall beyond. Moments later, you hear the bandits cry out in shocked surprise as inexplicably their chamber begins to fill with a dense white fog. Then the iron door opens and the bandits stagger out of the billowing mist, coughing and gasping for air. Stealthily you slip past them and enter the hall. Guided by your infravision, you hurry across this chamber and enter the clearer air of the tunnel which leads to the citadel bridge.

  To continue, turn to 55.

  150

  To your shocked surprise, you see a score of Kraan come soaring up from the open roof of an adjoining blockhouse complex. They are ridden by Drakkarim armed with crossbows, and as the first of the scaly fliers swoops past the boarding cage, the riders let loose a volley of bolts. Fortunately, they are poorly aimed and none of them find their mark. Lone Wolf weaves a pattern with his hands and three of the Kraan come to an abrupt halt, as if the stormy air has suddenly turned to glass and imprisoned them. Meanwhile, you focus your attention upon a Kraan that is swooping down from the clouds above on a collision course with the cage. Its rider is carrying a smoking black orb fixed to a long length of chain. Impact looks imminent until, at the very last moment, the Drakkar tugs on the reins and the Kraan veers away. As it turns, the Drakkar releases the orb and sends it hurtling towards the boarding cage door.

  Illustration X—A Drakkarim rider swoops down and hurls a smoking black orb.

  If you possess a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 274.

  If you possess Elementalism and wish to use it, turn to 210.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 33.

  If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it, turn to 121.

  If you possess neither a Bow nor any of these Disciplines, or if you choose not to use any of them, turn instead to 236.

  151

  You sprint away from the fissure to avoid being struck by the gushing lava, but you are hit by several splashes of cooling magma when the lava-plume rains down on the forest. Your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus provides some protection, but still you are badly burnt by these droplets of molten rock.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If the number you have picked is odd (i.e. 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9), you lose 3 ENDURANCE points. If it is even (i.e. 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8), you lose 5 ENDURANCE points. Remember to adjust your ENDURANCE points total before continuing.

  Turn to 129.

  152

  Eventually the wolfhound obeys your mental command and lopes off into the tunnel that leads to the bridge by which you entered the citadel. The bandits give chase, and you hear them cursing and threatening their recalcitrant hound as they hurry past your hiding place unawares. You watch them enter the tunnel, and as soon as they disappear from view, you leave the statue and hurry around the gallery to the staircase opposite.

  A short flight of iron steps ascends to a long, low-ceilinged hall. Its plastered walls are decorated with frescoes that depict enslaved humans, bedecked with chains and heads bowed in defeat, parading in a line before a triumphant group of Drakkarim warlords. At the far end of this hall you discover three identical doors recessed into the wall.

  If you possess Telegnosis, turn to 107.

  If you do not, turn to 174.

  153

  As the last fragments of Zorkaan's black shadow are consumed by the golden flames, you struggle to your feet and stumble towards Lone Wolf. You fear the worst, that your brave leader has sacrificed his own life for yours, but to your profound relief you soon discover that he is not dead but unconscious.

  If you possess your Kai Weapon, turn to 225.

  If you do not, turn to 341.

  154

  Despite your precautions, your cloak suddenly bursts into flames and you are forced to retreat from the edge of the fissure before you can put them out. You quickly smother the flames and suffer no injuries, but you are convinced that it is
impossible for you to gain entry to the fortress by this route. Reluctantly, you return across the killing zone to the edge of the petrified forest.

  You are feeling disheartened by your unsuccessful attempt to enter the fortress, but you do not allow your disappointment to weaken your determination to complete your vital mission. After resting for a few minutes, you resolve to enter Gazad Helkona by other means.

  Before you make your second attempt to enter Xaol's stronghold, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points (unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery).

  To continue, turn to 62.

  155

  You lash out at the Krorn with the toe of your boot and strike it a glancing blow to the side of its head. The creature utters a guttural cry and staggers backwards into the chamber, clutching its bruised head with its ham-like fists. You force yourself through the narrow aperture and jump down into the chamber, but the moment your feet hit the flagstones you hear a high-pitched squeak somewhere above your head. You glance up and a shadowy blur flashes before your eyes. It is followed almost immediately by a sharp stabbing pain that runs all the way from your neck to your stomach. Something small and furry has attached itself to the flesh beneath your jaw, and it is feeding hungrily on your blood.