The Jungle of Horrors

by Joe Dever

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, turn to 279.

  If you do not possess this skill, turn to 241.

  199

  Kezoor shrieks in frustration. He renews his attack on Paido by creating more of the hideous creatures, but your companion uses his battle-magic to summon fire to his aid. From the tip of his sword a sheet of flame wafts down upon the spiders now closing in for the kill. They flare brightly, their legs withering in the flames, their crackling black bodies dropping to the floor and crumbling away to dust. ‘Attack!’ shouts Paido, and together you advance against your foe. Kezoor draws his sword and mouths a silent spell of protection as he prepares to engage you both in a fight to the death.

  Kezoor: COMBAT SKILL 26 ENDURANCE 43

  He is immune to Mindblast and Psi-surge. You may halve any ENDURANCE point losses you sustain during the combat as Paido fights by your side, receiving half the blows struck by Kezoor.

  If you win the combat, turn to 46.

  200

  There is a terrific bang as another cube explodes. It is followed, almost instantaneously, by a massive explosion that transforms the Levitron into a colossal ball of flame, as the liquid gas stored inside the pressure tank ignites.

  Your life and your quest end here.

  201

  One of the bowls begins to emit a faint humming sound. The surface of its silvery liquid swirls and glows brighter, casting a phosphorescent light onto the domed ceiling. The sparkling mist slowly clears and a strange image takes shape, condensing and forming into something wholly alien, something that resembles the head of a monstrous fly. Its great multi-faceted eyes stare down at you, gleaming darkly with black fire, like two huge clusters of evil jewels.

  Illustration IX—A strange image takes shape resembling the head of a monstrous fly.

  ‘Tan-ash-okja Nadoknar Gnaag!’ booms a ghastly, rasping voice. Then, with a stifled cry of rage and recognition, the image clouds over and the light fades to a dull glow. The terrible visage of Darklord Gnaag has disappeared.

  ‘By the gods!’ gasps Paido, shocked to the core by what he has seen. ‘What manner of beast was that?’ But you do not reply, for you sense that he already knows the dreadful answer.

  Swiftly you search the chamber. Behind a throne-like chair of chiselled stone you discover several useful items: a Sword, a Bow, 3 Arrows and enough food for 2 Meals. Also, set into the back of the chair, is a lever. It activates a portal in the opposite wall. The tapestry that conceals it is drawn aside, and you can see a stairway, flanked by torches, descending to a passage far below.

  ‘Come,’ says Paido. ‘This room chills my blood.’ You move to follow him as he descends the stairs, stopping briefly to kick over the bowl of glowing, silvery liquid that projected the image of Darklord Gnaag.

  Turn to 259.

  202

  Your ears are filled with a loathsome hissing as the bodies of your slain enemies dissolve into the mud. You stare at their smouldering remains, and a cold chill grips your heart as you speculate on why these foul servants of the Darklords came to this sleepy Talestrian hamlet.

  Inside the abbey you discover the grisly answer. Scattered throughout the chambers and corridors are the bodies of dead monks, their lifeless faces frozen in masks of horror. Several have been stripped of their robes, presumably to provide a disguise for their killers.

  ‘Why would the Darklords want to take control of this abbey?’ asks Paido, horrified at the sight of such slaughter.

  ‘I fear it is part of their plan to conquer Talestria,’ you reply. ‘It is always their strategy to infiltrate a land with agents before invading. When invasion is launched, these agents rise up and attack from within.’

  ‘So you think that the Darklords plan to invade Talestria,’ says Paido, aghast at the possibility of such an event.

  ‘I suspect that their plan is already under way,’ you say thoughtfully. ‘Perhaps the destruction of Luukos was masterminded not in Xanar, but in Helgedad.’

  Paido helps you to bury the monks in the graves already dug by their killers. As you cover the last of the bodies with soil you notice a small, pear-shaped stone lying on the pathway. Its speckled blue surface is mirror-smooth and, despite its size, it feels remarkably heavy. You suspect it is very valuable and decide to keep it. (Mark this Lodestone11 on your Action Chart as a Special Item that you carry in your Belt Pouch. If you already carry your maximum number of Special Items, you must discard one in favour of this new item.)

  Turn to 55.

  [11] Many sections in this book assume that you possess the Lodestone, therefore you should not discard it during this adventure unless you are forced to do so or given an explicit opportunity.

  203

  Your improved Kai skill warns you that to the north a tribe of hungry swamp creatures are lurking at the edge of the pool in search of prey. You and Paido would provide an excellent meal for these beasts. To the south the track takes you away from the heart of the swamp, and consequently further away from your goal.

  If you wish to go north and brave the swamp creatures, turn to 36.

  If you decide to go south, turn to 300.

  204

  You arrive at a flagstoned quadrangle. It is well lit by street lanterns, which hang from the first-floor balcony of a large and unusual building constructed of blue stone, with silver and scarlet veins running through it. The bricks have been polished to give a mirror-like shine. A huge wooden door banded with copper dominates the entrance, above which a bronze cast depicts a flaming broadsword with the words ‘TEMPLE OF THE SWORD’ engraved along the blade.

  Beyond the temple, a street ascends to a stone watchtower. It is built on the peak of a hill and dominates the town.

  If you have a Map of Tharro, you may consult it before choosing any of the following options: turn to 22.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship, turn to 327.

  If you wish to enter the temple, turn to 78.

  If you wish to ride up to the watchtower, turn to 14.

  205

  You are in combat with a man-beast of the Danarg.

  Ghagrim: COMBAT SKILL 23 ENDURANCE 38

  You can evade combat after three rounds; turn to 309.

  If you win the combat, turn to 9.

  206

  A horde of huge black spiders carpets the floor, their bulbous bellies crouched on hairy, angular legs. In a sudden rush they scuttle towards Paido, their eyes glinting and their mandibles gaping wide.

  If you have a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 246.

  If you do not have a Bow, or if you do not wish to use it, turn to 291.

  207

  The Fireseed bursts into flames, blinding your pursuers with its sudden glare. You seize the opportunity to dive into the thick undergrowth that borders the track. Paido follows as you crawl towards the cover of the trees.

  Turn to 111.

  208

  You draw and fire an Arrow at the monk's head. At the same time he spins his black staff with incredible speed and dexterity, creating a whirl of darkness. There is a brief flash as your Arrow enters this spinning vortex and is smashed to fragments. Before the fragments have settled on the floor, you shoulder your Bow, draw a hand weapon, and leap forward to catch your enemy off his guard.

  Turn to 277.

  209

  You draw an Arrow, gripping your horse with your knees as you take aim at the leader.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, add 3 to the number you have picked.

  If the total is now 0–6, turn to 162.

  If it is 7 or more, turn to 303.

  210

  You watch with bated breath as the point of a spear moves slowly into view, its wet tip glinting dangerously. A man's voice, gruff and demanding, challenges Paido to state good reason for trespassing on his property or to suffer the consequences. Paido answers with a sound far louder than you ever imagined could be made
by a human voice. The force of the shout hits the man like a clenched fist, slamming him backwards through the timber parapet. He lands with a dull splash, spread-eagled atop a mound of manure and rotting vegetation.

  ‘Vakeros power-word,’ explains Paido, in answer to your unspoken question. ‘Someday I'll teach you the technique, Kai Lord.’

  If you wish to search the mill, turn to 306.

  If you choose to leave the mill and continue your ride north to Tharro, turn to 318.

  211

  You snatch the dagger and hurl it at your foe. It strikes the creature in the midriff, sinking in up to the hilt. Such a wound would have felled any mortal being, but this enemy stands unmoved. It plucks the dagger from its side and drops it to the floor with disdain. Another ball of blue flame is forming at the tip of its black staff — you must act quickly.

  If you wish to attack the Helghast with a hand weapon, turn to 75.

  If you wish to use Paido's sword, turn to 47.

  212

  The creature gives a strange snickering cry as slowly it edges nearer and nearer. It is a huge, pear-shaped beast with a hunched back and a white lizard-like head. Awkwardly it shuffles upright, on two large hairy paws. At first glance it looks as if two totally separate creatures have been joined together at the waist: the lower half is covered with a coarse, spiky fur, and the upper body is pale and hairless, heavily veined, with long sinewy forearms. It raises its snout to savour the smell of your frightened horse and opens its fanged jaws.

  Illustration X—The creature gives a strange snickering cry as it edges nearer.

  If you have a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 17.

  If you do not have a Bow or do not wish to use it, turn to 333.

  213

  You fire and your Arrow hits the necromancer, twisting him around and pitching him over as the shaft passes right through his arm. Although wounded, he quickly scrambles to his feet.

  Turn to 199.

  214

  The edges of the pool roll inwards and smother the tip of your weapon, revealing an egg-like creature lurking in the hollow. A snaky tendril lashes up from a hole in its shell and tries to grip your wrist.

  If your weapon is an edged weapon (i.e. a Sword, Dagger, Axe, Spear, Short Sword, or Broadsword), turn to 235.

  If your weapon is a non-edged weapon (i.e. a Mace, Warhammer, Quarterstaff, or Bow), turn to 187.

  215

  Expertly you draw an Arrow and take aim at the counter. Seconds later the dwarf appears, his crossbow levelled ready to fire. You loose your bowstring and the Arrow cuts the air, slamming into the leather stirrup at the front of the crossbow and splitting it wide open. It runs the length of the wooden stock and halts barely an inch from the dwarf's face, its steel tip quivering beneath his nose. His eye regards the deadly point with a look of shocked surprise before rolling up into his head. Seconds later there is a crash of broken glass. The dwarf has keeled over backwards and fallen, unconscious with shock, through the shelves of bottles that line the rear of the bar.

  Turn to 70.

  216

  The causeway comes to an abrupt halt, its jagged edge overhanging a sprawling tangle of reeds, marsh thistles, and black moss. The pools of dark water are few, but the hazards are much greater than before.

  ‘Those patches,’ says Paido, pointing across the wild landscape, ‘are quicksands.’ You stare at myriad tan-coloured patches where the weeds do not grow.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination, turn to 142.

  If you wish to cross this quicksand bog, turn to 21.

  If you decide to return to the junction and take the west spur, turn to 175.

  217

  Despite the tempting aroma, you push the meat stew away and settle for the dry provisions you carry in your pack. The monks appear upset by your refusal to eat their food. They whisper to each other and cast anxious glances at your untouched plate. Paido eats his stew, smiling delightedly as he fills his empty stomach. The monks hurry out of the refectory and return minutes later in the company of an elderly man, dressed in a hooded black robe. He carries a long black staff.

  ‘Has the Vakeros eaten?’ he asks, his voice strangely cold and monotonal.

  ‘Yes, master,’ reply the monks, ‘but the Kai Lord refused.’

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination, turn to 93.

  If you do not possess this skill, turn to 128.

  218

  The bargee hands you a tankard filled to the brim with Chai-cheer. Its greenish hue does little to inspire your confidence, but your doubts soon dissolve when you taste the beverage — it is delicious. Paido raises his tankard and takes a great mouthful of the ale of his choice — Ferina Nog. Immediately he spits it out, wiping away its insipid taste on the back of his hand. ‘Bilge juice!’ he splutters, slamming down his mug.

  ‘You should be a sight more careful where you empty your mouth, stranger,’ growls a man to your right. He bends down and picks up his polished steel helmet. With a slow and deliberate twist of his wrist he empties it of ale, pouring the contents all over Paido's feet. Your companion curses and reaches instinctively for his sword.

  If you wish to take action to stop a fight breaking out, turn to 314.

  If you choose to do nothing, turn to 253.

  219

  The sword whistles past your head and gouges a chunk of stone from the courtyard arch. You hear the monks shouting and you dig in your heels, steering your horse through the archway and along a narrow street that leads to the quadrangle. At this early hour there are few obstacles to slow your escape as you gallop headlong through the twisting streets of Tharro. It is not until you reach the town's north gate that you finally rein in your horse to a halt.

  Turn to 347.

  220

  It is late afternoon when you see the Temple of Ohrido, rising majestically out of the swamp mists and tangled vegetation. The sight of this towering ziggurat is so breathtaking that you are both stunned into silence as you feast your eyes on its untarnished splendour. Tier upon tier of gleaming white stone, shaped and formed into perfect symmetry, confront you. Huge foundation slabs support a level carved of golden rock, inlaid and decorated with gemstones. Above that sit strata of precious metals and then levels made up of crystal slabs, whose facets refract the colours of the rainbow. Upward climb tiers of ruby, sapphire, and emerald, that offer up a wedge-shaped spire of pure korlinium crystal to the sky.

  At its base the swamp has shrunk back as if repelled by the radiant goodness of the temple. A perimeter of lush grass leads to a staircase of solid amber. You follow Paido as he ascends towards a pair of huge triangular doors set into the second level. Everywhere the glitter of gemstones and the gleam of precious metals radiate a purity unspoiled by the Danarg. Paido completes the complex procedures that open the great doors, taught to him by the Elder Magi in preparation for this mission. They part and you enter, stepping on a floor of glistening gold, a floor that has lain undisturbed for seven thousand years.

  Turn to 100.

  221

  The monks of Talestria are infamous for their gluttony. Stories of their thirty-course meals and week-long banquets are well known throughout Magnamund. However, despite their voluminous robes, you cannot help but notice how slight these monks appear.

  If you wish to stop and pay your respects to the deceased, turn to 275.

  If you choose to continue on your way without stopping, turn to 55.

  222

  The pain gradually subsides, but a fearful numbness spreads through your body, paralysing your limbs and leaving you totally at the mercy of your enemy. He utters a cruel laugh and turns to leave the chamber. Swiftly you sink into a coma induced by the poison in your blood: it is a sleep from which you will never awaken.

  Your life and your quest end here.

  223

  A powerful nerve toxin is injected into your throat, paralysing you from the neck down. Your vocal chords are frozen and you are incapable of sho
uting for Paido's help. A blind horror fills your senses as, helplessly, you watch the creature gorge on your blood, its shell-like body pulsating and swelling.

  Your life and your quest end here.

  224

  ‘What!’ exclaims Trost, incredulous. ‘Are you afraid of a snivelling grave poacher? If you'll not help me then I'll do the job alone.’

  Before you have a chance to respond he leaves the table and advances towards the stranger. The man remains motionless, seemingly engrossed in his black book. Trost draws his sword and holds aloft the notice of death with his free hand. ‘You are Kezoor the Necromancer, an outlaw in this land.’ The man remains as still as a stone statue. ‘By the authority of Queen Evaine, I … ’

  Trost stops in mid-sentence, his commanding voice little more than a stifled groan as Kezoor looks up from his book. His hard grey eyes glow with an unnatural intensity. Trost screams. His face becomes a mass of swelling and erupting boils. He collapses to his knees as the pain grows more intense.

  ‘I'll finish this worm!’ snarls Paido, incensed by Trost's agony and the cruel gloating laugh of his tormentor. He draws his sword and strides across the hold, but before he can strike a blow, the necromancer conjures forth a new, more horrific summonation.