The Masters of Darkness

by Joe Dever

  If you win the combat, turn to 240.

  172

  Suddenly, with an ear-splitting crack, the timbers of the main deck collapse and you feel yourself falling headlong into the bowels of the ship. The bulkheads, severely weakened during the Xargath's attack, have finally given way beneath the weight of fighting men and dropped you all into the cargo hold below.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table (0 equals 10). If you have completed the Lore-circle of Solaris, deduct 2 from the number you have picked. The final number represents the number of ENDURANCE points you have lost due to injuries sustained in the fall. Make the necessary adjustment to your Action Chart.

  Turn to 222.

  173

  Your Kai skill enables you to escape without leaving any tracks upon the slime-covered streets for your pursuers to follow. When they reach the junction, they cannot be sure in which direction you ran. The minutes lost in indecision give you time to escape from their clutches.

  Turn to 48.

  174

  Night has fallen swiftly, but there is a full moon by which to see. It pierces the darkness and bathes the landscape in its ghostly, ashen light. The tide bears you swiftly towards a shingle beach that is littered with huge, sea-smoothed boulders. The crashing surf and the screech of predatory seabirds echo all along this barren coastline. It is an unwelcoming sound, cold and hostile, a fitting reflection of the land itself.

  Ten yards from the stony beach, you slip into the thigh-deep foam and wade ashore. Although you can see no sign of enemy patrols, you keep your head low as you scurry up the beach towards the base of a sheer cliff wall. By chance you happen upon a narrow path that clings precariously to the side of the cliff-face as it zigzags its way to the top. The climb is long and arduous, and by the time you reach the summit the weather has taken a turn for the worse. An icy, rain-laden wind whips inland from the sea. Its chilling bite is accompanied by sheet lightning that illuminates the landscape before you. The blue-white flashes reveal a vast, dead world of pitted spurs and crags, where every tree is petrified and every rock looks like a dead man's skull. You pull your cape close about your shoulders and set off towards a ridge that is peppered with dark hollows, hoping that one of them will offer some shelter from the coming storm.

  Upon reaching the ridge, you discover that most of the hollows are merely patches of dark earth sandwiched between the honeycombed rock. The rain has become torrential, and you are beginning to abandon all hope of finding dry shelter, when suddenly your tracking instincts alert you to a cave-like opening at the far end of the ridge. You investigate and discover that it is indeed the entrance to a cave, one that is both wind- and watertight and, to your relief, quite empty. You are now very hungry and must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  If you have the Magnakai Disciplines of Animal Control and Divination, turn to 234.

  If you do not possess both these skills, turn to 307.

  175

  With unexpected speed, the Drakkar jumps to his feet and draws his saw-edged sword. He spits the dust from his mouth and growls a curse as he makes ready to strike a blow at your head.

  Drakkar: COMBAT SKILL 19 ENDURANCE 26

  If you win the combat, turn to 79.

  176

  You know that if you are to destroy this powerful enemy, you must strike quickly and effectively, before he has a chance to retaliate.

  If you have the Sommerswerd and wish to unsheathe it, turn to 208.

  If you possess either the Dagger of Vashna or the sword Helshezag and wish to use either of them, turn to 230.

  If you have a Bow and a Zejar-dulaga Arrow, and wish to use them, turn to 238.

  If you have none of the above Special Items (or choose not to use them), you can draw a hand weapon: turn to 340.

  177

  Using your Magnakai skill, you cause the flames to flicker and die before you sustain any serious burns. Your advanced Discipline also protects you from the smoke and fumes given off by the smouldering canvas, and enables you to crawl from under the fallen sails uninjured.

  Turn to 181.

  178

  Like a shadow, you glide towards the Death Knight, your weapon poised to strike him down, but, just as you are closing for the kill, the Zlanbeast lets out a piercing caw of alarm.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have completed the Lore-circle of Fire and the Lore-circle of Solaris, add 1 to this number. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control and have reached the Kai rank of Archmaster, add 3 to the number.

  If your total is now 0–7, turn to 158.

  If it is 8 or more, turn to 11.

  179

  You recognize the Black Cube to be a Nadziranim power crystal, an explosive device that can only be activated by creatures of the Darklands. If you decide to take this item, it is possible that it could detonate and kill you at any time.

  To continue, turn to 263.

  180

  The missile is directly above the Intrepid when it explodes with a deafening roar. The blast slams you to the deck and, as you struggle to your feet, white-hot fragments of metal rain down upon you. Pick a number from the Random Number Table (in this instance 0 equals 10). The number you have picked represents the number of ENDURANCE points you have lost due to shrapnel wounds.

  Amid the noise and chaos, you hear Captain Borse's strident voice, issuing commands to his shell-shocked crew. Despite the fearful blast, there are miraculously few casualties and the ship is soon brought under control. The topsails, ignited by the flash, are quickly cut away and jettisoned as the enemy vessels begin to close in for the kill. They turn to bring their weapons to bear, but the heavy, iron ships are slow and cumbersome, and, by the time they have changed formation, the Intrepid is out of range and sailing at speed into the dark waters of the Kaltersee.

  Turn to 71.

  181

  The explosion has caused havoc aboard the Intrepid. Men run howling across the decks, their clothes and hair ablaze, as swiftly the fire spreads throughout the ship. ‘Save yourselves!’ cries Davan. ‘Abandon ship!’

  You run to the deck rail, and, as you look along the beam, you see scores of men — Drakkarim and Sommlending alike — hurling themselves into the cold, dark waters of the Kaltersee rather than perish amid the roaring holocaust of flame.

  If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, Pathsmanship, or Divination, turn to 4.

  If you possess none of these skills, turn to 224.

  182

  The Giak wagon has drawn to a halt nearby, its driver and his companion eagerly awaiting the return of their escort. They are sniggering and discussing in detail all the hideous tortures they will inflict on you should the Drakkarim manage to capture you alive. So engrossed are they in their bloodthirsty talk that they fail to notice you creeping up on them until it is too late. Swiftly you silence the driver and turn in an instant to strike his companion. Miraculously, however, he manages to parry your blow on the shaft of his spear.

  Giak Wagon-guard: COMBAT SKILL 16 ENDURANCE 19

  If you win the combat, turn to 335.

  183

  The icy cold winds blowing inland off the Kaltersee grow fiercer with every passing hour. Billowing black storm clouds mask the moon and plunge the land into an inky darkness that makes your search for shelter increasingly difficult. Only the steady flash of sheet lightning affords you any assistance. After three hours of fruitless search you resign yourself to spending a cold, wet, and thoroughly miserable night crouching at the bottom of a shallow gully, with your cape pulled tent-like over your head to fend off the relentless rain. Owing to the cold, your fatigue, and lack of sleep, your night in the open costs you 4 ENDURANCE points.

  Turn to 300.

  184

  As you follow the sycophantic creature along the corridor and up a flight of iron stairs to the deck level above, you ponder the name he called you — Cagath. No doubt it was the name of the Ligan whose identity you have taken o
n as a disguise. (Make a note of this name in the margin of your Action Chart. It could prove useful at a later stage of your adventure.)

  A strange scene awaits you in the large, cylindrical chamber that is the gallery. At the centre of this steel hall, used by the Lajakeka's passengers as a meeting place and gambling den, there is a square pit some fifteen feet deep. On tiered seats that encircle the pit sit a motley group of creatures, some of whose features you recognize: Liganim, Nadziranim, Giak ore-masters, and a dozen or so whose origins are a mystery to you. They are all cheering or bawling obscenities at two bulky pit fighters, who are locked in hand-to-hand combat below. The fight ends abruptly with the beheading of one combatant, and the pit is cleared quickly whilst old bets are claimed and new ones are laid on the next bout. Into the gore-stained pit step two new fighters: an orange-skinned reptilian armed with a spiked club, and a blue-skinned humanoid wielding a ball and chain. Giak crew pass along the tiers collecting bets. One of them appears at your side and tugs your sleeve. ‘Stak nart gug?’ he growls, waving a wad of orange and blue slips of hide, as he tries to tempt you to place a bet.

  Illustration XI—An orange-skinned reptilian and a blue-skinned humanoid step into the gore-stained pit.

  If you have any Kika (Gold Crowns or Lune may not be used in lieu of Kika in this instance) and wish to bet on one of the pit fighters, turn to 61.

  If you do not possess any Kika or do not wish to bet on the outcome of the fight, turn to 254.

  185

  The limb wavers; then, hesitantly, it falls back to the edge of the abyss. With an Arrow drawn to your lips you watch it retreat, your eye focused along the shaft at a point near the middle of the velvety black tendril. It continues to withdraw, and then, as the tip is about to disappear from sight, there is a deafening screech. Suddenly a huge shape explodes from the crevasse, rising at such speed that its features are a blur. Instinctively you aim at the centre of this bulbous black form, and send your shaft whistling to meet its lightning-fast attack. The Arrow strikes, and the creature screeches again — this time in pain.

  You dive to the floor to avoid being hit by this howling horror, but it skims your scalp before slamming into the cavern wall. You glance back, expecting to see it slumped lifelessly on the floor, but to your surprise you see that it is still moving. Like a punctured balloon, it rebounds from the wall, and then soars in a spiral towards the roof. There it is impaled on a cluster of stalactites that crack and give way under the impact of its vast weight. For a fleeting second you glimpse its ghastly features — its pear-shaped horny head and bulb-tipped antennae — before it plummets for the last time into the coal-black depths of the crevasse.

  Turn to 87.

  186

  Your senses tell you that the most vulnerable parts of the Xargath's head are its ears: the wall of the creature's skull is thinnest near the ear canals. Penetrate its ear with an arrow, and it could pass straight through the skull and enter its brain.

  The Xargath roars and a gale of putrid breath tears at your face and clothing, forcing you away from the longboat. As you fight to stay on your feet, the beast bears down, tilting its head from side to side, revealing just a glimpse of your chosen target. Guided by instinct alone you raise your Bow and fire.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table and add to it any bow-skill bonuses to which you are entitled.

  If your total is now 0–8, turn to 313.

  If it is 9 or more, turn to 105.

  187

  The rod is a Zejar-dulaga, a poisonous arrow imbued with magical accuracy. If you wish to turn off the power and take this Zejar-dulaga, mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item, which you carry in your Quiver. The Zejar-dulaga occupies the same space in your Quiver as a normal Arrow. If you have 6 Arrows, you may discard one in favour of the Zejar-dulaga.

  Having satisfied yourself that there is nothing else of practical use in this laboratory, you decide to leave.

  If you wish to leave the laboratory by the door located behind the bench, turn to 54.

  If you decide to re-enter the corridor and approach the guards, turn to 29.

  188

  Your curiosity is aroused by the pouch of herbs you have discovered in the belt pouch of the dead Drakkarim officer.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing or have reached the Kai rank of Principalin or higher, turn to 145.

  If you do not possess this skill or have yet to attain this level of Magnakai training, turn to 201.

  189

  Your attempts at deceiving this élite Drakkarim warrior are met with a sneer of contempt. Cursing you as an impostor, he thrusts his spear at your face in an attempt to gouge out your tongue. You cannot evade combat and must fight your adversary to the death.

  Death Knight Sentinel: COMBAT SKILL 28 ENDURANCE 29

  If you win the fight, turn to 139.

  190

  The howling makes the guard nervous — he shuffles uneasily and holds his iron stave defensively, as if expecting an attack at any moment. Yet, despite his alertness, he does not see you approaching until the very last moment, by which time it is too late to avoid your first blow. You deal him a grievous wound to the neck which sends him reeling, yet he recovers quickly and comes staggering towards you, his stave now ablaze with blue fire.

  If possess the Sommerswerd and wish to use it, turn to 208.

  If you do not possess this Special Item or choose not to unsheathe it, turn to 289.

  191

  After searching the ruins and finding nothing of practical use, you continue your lonely trek along the Argazad trail. For the most part, it runs parallel to the coast and is exposed to strong gusts of icy air that whip across the gulf. You find yourself having to lean into these sleet-tinged winds in order to remain upright. It is a tiring ordeal, and, as dusk begins to darken the sky, you welcome the chance to stop and rest.

  You have just located a windproof niche in the lee of a rocky crag, and are about to settle down and rest, when you notice something moving towards you along the trail.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery and have reached the Kai rank of Principalin or higher, turn to 251.

  If you do not possess this skill or have yet to reach this level of Magnakai training, turn to 37.

  192

  The Xargath roars like a demon, and a gale of blood-soaked breath whips your face and body, forcing you to lean into the blast in order to stay on your feet. The huge mouth descends, and your stomach churns when you see the grim remains of Sommlending sailors. Steeling yourself, you raise the sun-sword and prepare to strike out at the beast's ghastly maw.

  Xargath: COMBAT SKILL 32 ENDURANCE 100

  This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

  If you win the combat, turn to 299.

  193

  The screams of your pursuers grow louder with each passing second. Your pulse quickens and you release your Arrow before you are sure of your target. The shaft arcs through the darkness and strikes the creature a glancing wound to his shoulder, causing him to yelp in pained surprise.

  Fearful that his cry will alert those who are following you, you shoulder your Bow hurriedly, draw a hand weapon, and run at the guard, grimly determined to finish him before he raises the alarm.

  If you possess the Sommerswerd and wish to use it to slay this creature, turn to 208.

  If you do not possess this Special Item or choose not to unsheathe it, turn to 289.

  194

  You hit the water with a mighty splash, and sink like a stone beneath the icy cold waves, yet the sudden shock serves to revive your battle-weary muscles and quickly you strike out for the surface. You emerge from the depths beside the hull of the enemy ironclad, which is slowly pulling away from the wreck of the Intrepid. The heads of the rivets, which protrude all along its steel bow, offer a secure handhold for your numb fingers and enable you to drag yourself onto the shallow deck. You have barely caught your breath when a Drakkarim sailor, arme
d with a billhook, rushes forward and lunges at your head.

  Drakkarim Sailor: COMBAT SKILL 19 ENDURANCE 24

  Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 2 points for the first round of this fight, owing to the surprise of your enemy's attack.

  If you win the combat, turn to 243.

  195

  You slay the last of the deadly Crypt Spawn and stagger back, wiping their gore from your stinging eyes. As your vision clears, to your horror you see Kraagenskûl bending over a bowl that rests on a plinth beside his throne. It is filled with a silvery liquid, and at once you recognize its purpose: it is a communicator, a device through which he can converse with his leader, Darklord Gnaag. The Sommerswerd has betrayed your identity, and Kraagenskûl is warning Gnaag of your presence here in Argazad.

  With your heart pounding, you race across the chamber and kick the bowl from its plinth, destroying the image of Gnaag, that floats upon its shiny surface. Kraagenskûl screams in anger and lunges at your head, his sword now ablaze with tongues of black fire. You parry the blow and the two blades hiss furiously as their awesome power collides.