The Fall of Blood Mountain
Page 13
At first Shom'zaa appears not to have sensed your presence in his lair. Busily he tends to a batch of Agarashi eggs, injecting them with fluid from his proboscis to encourage them to hatch. But when you remove the Sun-crystal from your pocket and get ready to hurl it at his loathsome form, suddenly he senses danger and retreats among the stalagmites. As he withdraws, he emits a sound that is beyond the range of human hearing.
If you possess Kai-screen and wish to use it, turn to 224.
If you possess Bardsmanship and wish to use it, turn to 133.
If you do not possess these skills, or if you choose not to use them, turn to 46.
210
The cannon's shell hits the portcullis and explodes, tearing a great hole in the timbers. Smouldering fragments of the gate are scattered widely about the hall, and they set off a chain-reaction of smaller explosions when they settle on powder kegs and jars of inflammable liquids.
The enemy are thrown into a state of confusion and you seize upon the chance to make good your escape. You run to the portcullis and dive head-first through the ragged hole. With the Agarashi commander's cries of anger and frustration ringing in your ears, you scramble to your feet and hurry down a stone ramp that leads to the level below.
Turn to 300.
211
You draw an Arrow to your Bow and fire it at the rock creature's chest. The shaft strikes its torso and the steel tip cracks the surface, but it does not stop the creature's determined advance.
To continue, turn to 340.
212
Defiantly you stand and face the hideous creature as it barrels towards Andarin's tomb. But when it levels its glowing fists at your chest, suddenly your Kai Sixth Sense warns you that it is preparing to discharge two powerful blasts of sorcerous energy.
If you possess a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 19.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 7.
If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it, turn to 106.
If you do not possess a Bow, nor either of these skills, or if you choose not to use any of them, turn to 325.
213
When you depress the final button, you hear the locking mechanism click open and you breathe a sigh of relief. But then your heart sinks when you hear the dull clang of an alarm bell echoing along the tunnel. You step back and unsheathe your Kai Weapon in anticipation of trouble as the bronze portal slowly swings open.
Turn to 40.
214
You point out the Shom'zaa commander to a Drodarin marksman called Fanar who is standing beside you at the barricade. With a wicked grin, he raises his Bor musket and takes careful aim. There is a flash and a loud report as he discharges his weapon. Then a cheer resounds from his comrades when they see the creature fall with Fanar's shot lodged firmly in the middle of its forehead.
To continue, turn to 244.
215
You take aim with your right hand at the two guards before uttering the words of the Brotherhood Spell Net. A gout of thick fluid gushes from your palm and engulfs the creatures, glueing them together with its sticky strands. They struggle to free themselves but, in their desperation, they fall over and become stuck firmly to the ground.
The dwarves seize their chance to escape from the cage. A hand reaches through the bars and the bolt is pulled. Then the door bursts open and out they pour with a blood-curdling yell as they run to the ore wagons to arm themselves with rocks and tools. The torturers, alerted by the dwarf-yell, abandon their grisly work and come running towards the prison cage with their weapons raised. Suddenly two of these minions appear beside your wagon. Hurriedly you reach to your Kai Weapon as they launch a frenzied attack.
Shom'zaa minions: COMBAT SKILL 33 ENDURANCE 38
You are unable to inflict any ENDURANCE loss on this enemy for the first two rounds of combat, due to the surprise and ferocity of their attack.
If you win the combat, turn to 9.
216
You call upon your improved mastery of Assimilance to conjure a thick mist from the bottom of the enemy trench. Seconds later, the Shom'zaa minions shriek with fear as they are engulfed in a dense white fog.
Turn to 129.
217
You pull open the trapdoor and descend a ladder to a cool cellar. The floor is stacked high with corked bottles, and the walls are lined with shelves that sag beneath the weight of a hundred glass flagons, each one filled with a dark bubbling liquid. The pungent smell of fermenting ale assails your nostrils, and your suspicions are confirmed when you risk a sip of the heady home brew.
The flagons contain Bor Brew, a notoriously potent ale. If you wish to take some of this beer, you can fill an empty bottle and store it in your pack (a Bottle of Bor Brew = 1 Backpack Item).
To leave the farmhouse, turn to 332.
218
You close your eyes and concentrate upon your telepathic powers in an attempt to make contact with Lord Rimoah. The image of the magician's face swims in and out of focus, and you sense that your efforts to communicate with him are being disrupted by the sheer density of the granite that separates you both. Briefly you connect, and in these few fleeting seconds you learn that he is aware of Shom'zaa's destruction. He tells you that King Ryvin's army is battling through the middle levels of the kingdom in a determined effort to reach the throne chamber.
You must hold the chamber until the King's warriors arrive … These are the last mind-words you hear from Rimoah before your telepathic link weakens and fades.
Turn to 36.
219
You circle your right hand in front of your chest and rapidly recite the words of the Old Kingdom Spell Shield. The air shimmers as the spell takes form, and the deadly blast of ice slams into it with spectacular effect.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If your current ENDURANCE score is higher than 20, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1.
If your total score is now 4 or lower, turn to 151.
If it is 5 or higher, turn to 126.
220
You follow the newly-laid wagon track along the tunnel until you are brought to a halt by the sound of enemy activity in a cavern ahead. Cautiously you make your approach, using the cover afforded by pit props which support the roof of this recent excavation. Rows of ore wagons are parked here, each filled with precious korlinium ore. A large group of more than 50 Shom'zaa Agarashi are standing around them, shrieking and gesticulating at each other. They have no commander to keep them in order, and they have been left in a state of panic and confusion following the destruction of Shom'zaa.
Aided by your Kai camouflage skills, you have little difficulty slipping past these creatures and continuing along a tunnel in the opposite wall. This wide passageway brings you back to ‘The Hub’, but as you approach this familiar cavern, your blood is chilled by the sight of what awaits you there.
Turn to 170.
221
You continue for several miles in complete silence and darkness until you hear a noise faintly in the distance. You stop to concentrate your aural abilities and gradually you are able to identify the distinctive, familiar sounds of battle. The clash of blades, the dull report of Bor pistols, and the dying shrieks of men and monsters can be heard seeping through the cracked walls of this tunnel.
You press on for a further mile until the tunnel tapers and comes to a dead end. A wedge of lantern-light is pouring through a wide hole near the floor, and when you peer through it, you see a wider tunnel which passes at a right angle to the one you occupy. Lying on the floor of this new passageway are the bloodstained bodies of Drodarin warriors, entwined with Shom'zaa minions and Agarashi.
You watch and listen for several minutes. When you are sure that you can detect nothing moving in the tunnel below, you remove your Backpack and push it through the hole. Then you wriggle through this narrow gap and drop down onto the body-strewn floor. You are replacing your Backpack when suddenly your Kai senses alert you to an
approaching danger.
If you possess Grand Nexus and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Knight, turn to 327.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 241.
222
You creep into the cavern and take cover behind an ore wagon that is parked directly opposite the prison cage. From here you are able to get a better view of the two guards, and you note that they are both wearing captured chainmail armour strapped to their scaly torsos. You also notice that the gate to the prison cage is secured by a simple iron bolt.
If you have a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 146.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 215.
If you possess neither a Bow, nor this Grand Master Discipline, or if you choose not to use either, turn instead to 108.
223
Your Kai Mastery warns you that you are running towards a deadly trap. One of the dusty stone slabs which pave this narrow passageway is set to trigger the trap when a weight is placed upon it. Your Kai Sixth Sense helps you to identify the slab, and as you get nearer, you increase your speed in preparation to jump over it.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If your current ENDURANCE score is 16 or lower, deduct 2.
If your total score is now 4 or lower, turn to 13.
If it is 5 or higher, turn to 141.
224
Quickly you draw upon your mental defences to shield your mind from this inaudible pitch, and your swift actions save you from sustaining any damage from this sonic attack.
Turn to 154.
225
Swiftly you leave the track and leap through the tall crops, pitching and stumbling among their tough stalks as you race to get away from the approaching riders. You change direction repeatedly, using your Magnakai Pathsmanship skills to weave through the wheat without leaving any sign of your passing. This tactic soon throws them off your scent, and within a short while you feel confident that they have lost your trail.
You have just crossed into an adjoining field of barley when suddenly a barrier of piercing light erupts in front of you as first one explosion and then three more detonate among the crops. In a desperate attempt to flush you out, the riders are hurling incendiary bombs into the fields. Within seconds the tinder-dry crops are ablaze, fanned by a stiff breeze. You retreat to the wheat field to avoid the roaring flames, but as you retrace your steps, your Sixth Sense tells you that you are being forced back into a trap.
If you wish to continue retreating into the wheat field to avoid the approaching fire, turn to 194.
If you wish to try to pass through the wall of fire and reach the safety of the barley fields beyond, turn to 42.
226
You dodge behind the parapet of the barricade and the icy bolt speeds over your head to splatter harmlessly against the wall of the throne chamber. You tug your Kai Weapon from its scabbard; then you leap to your feet in time to see the Shom'zaa horde reach the barricade. The War-thanes fight with ruthless efficiency, felling ten of the enemy for every Drodarin who falls. But the horde are gripped by a battle-frenzy that drives them like demons, and you are hard-pressed to keep them from breaking through the barricade.
Illustration XIII—Frantically you attempt to stop the crazed horde.
Shom'zaa Horde (in battle-frenzy): COMBAT SKILL 47 ENDURANCE 45
This enemy is immune to Mindblast (but not Kai-surge).
If you win this combat, turn to 100.
227
Your mastery of Nexus enables you to withstand the tremendous heat that is now radiating through the chamber door. Slowly the bronze begins to change colour at the centre of the portal; it glows dully-red. As you edge away from this hot spot to avoid the risk of it igniting your clothes and pack, a ball of white-hot plasma pushes clean through the glowing metal. You gasp with shock when you see that this ball is attached to a pale white arm. As you recoil from it, the arm attempts to pummel you with its fiery, ball-like fist.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 4 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 5 or lower, turn to 59.
If it is 6 or higher, turn to 288.
228
You squeeze yourself in among the barrels and offer up a silent prayer to Ishir to keep you safe from detection. As the smoke clears, the misshapen creatures scurry back to their experiments, urged on by the shrieks of their cadaverous lieutenant. To your dismay, you see that your route to the portcullised archway is no longer clear. It is obstructed by a group of minions that are attempting to dismantle a siege catapult and a two-wheeled field cannon. You quickly realize that if you are to have any chance of escaping from this laboratory alive, you will have to engineer another diversion.
You scan the archway and the surrounding area but no ideas spring readily to mind. Then you look up at the creature on the platform and you notice that it is standing beside a stack of wooden kegs. Branded on these kegs in Drodarin script are two words: Blasting Powder. You allow yourself a wry smile, for if you were able to ignite these kegs of powder, it would be sure to create just the kind of diversion you need.
If you possess a Bow and Magi-magic, and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian (or higher), turn to 164.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 268.
If you possess Elementalism and wish to use it, turn to 81.
If you possess none of the above, or if you decide not to use any of them, turn instead to 293.
229
You harness the force of your elemental powers to help steer you away from the jagged granite reef. You pass within a few yards of these deadly rocks, and then the cold water currents swirl you around and wash you onto a shingle bank.
To continue, turn to 290.
230
Prompted by curiosity, you leave Andarin's tomb and go to look at the alcoves which encircle the walls of this chamber. Only a few urns remain wholly intact within the arched recesses, and each of these is engraved with the likeness of the Drodarin lord whose ashes they contain. Your eye is drawn to one in particular — the cinerary urn of War-thane Svann. Yet it is not the urn itself that captures your interest; it is the small bronze lever concealed behind it.
Carefully you remove Svann's urn and examine the lever. Immediately your Kai senses inform you that it operates a secret panel in the wall.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 64.
If you do not, turn to 257.
231
As you push the final button, you hear the locking mechanism click open and you let out a sigh of relief. But then your confidence crumbles when you suddenly hear the dull clang of an alarm bell echoing along the tunnel. You step back and unsheathe your Kai Weapon in anticipation of trouble as the bronze portal slowly swings open.
Turn to 40.
232
Gradually the whirling vortex of the implosion grows smaller and smaller as its power collapses and fades. Then, with a loud Crack! it is gone completely. The gloom is lifted and a serene calmness envelops the chamber. You sense that Shom'zaa's link to the Plane of Darkness has been severed, and all trace of the Evil that was imprisoned here for so long has now been swept away.
To continue, turn to 294.
233
You utter the words of the Old Kingdom Spell Invisible Fist and project your open palm at the lizard-faced creature. The concussive force of your spell hits the beast squarely in the chest and hurls it backwards to the ground, where it strikes its head on a protruding rock and is knocked unconscious.
The minions freeze in their tracks and look to their fallen leader. When he fails to rise, they are gripped by a sudden panic that makes them drop their weapons and run. You seize this chance to break cover and race towards the pit shaft at the base of the quarry's north wall.
Turn to 17.
234
The icy bolt smashes through your hastily constructed shield-spell and strikes your left hand, spinning you to the ground: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.
Your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus thaws your frozen fingers and saves you from sustaining permanent damage. But when you struggle to your feet, you find yourself confronted by the creature and its slavering horde. Quickly you unsheathe your Kai Weapon as they race forward and attack.
Shom'zaa Agarashi & Commander: COMBAT SKILL 50 ENDURANCE 55
You cannot evade this combat — you must fight these creatures to the death.
If you win the fight, turn to 324.
235
Swiftly you draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus to fight the flames by the force of your will alone. Your speedy action extinguishes the fire, but your tunic and Backpack are badly charred. When you make a closer examination, you discover that some of your possessions have been ruined.