The Cauldron of Fear

by Joe Dever

  Near to the city's South Gate, the highway is flanked by beacons which illuminate those who approach the gatehouse. A drawbridge spans a moat of black water and, as you ride across, a bell tolls from the portcullised archway ahead.

  ‘Two civilian riders at the South Gate,’ yells a soldierly voice.

  ‘Raise the postern,’ shouts another.

  There is a clatter of chains and a scraping of stone. You watch the portcullis, expecting it to rise, but it does not move, Instead, a narrow portal opens at the base of the wall and an armoured guard steps from the shadows. He motions you to enter and you follow Banedon along a corridor of stone, leading to a secure enclosure. You glance upwards to see the faces of a dozen soldiers, peering down at you from behind a parapet that encircles the high enclosure walls. All of them grasp loaded crossbows which they train on you as you move. Then a small gate creaks open and two guards appear, armed with broad-bladed spears.

  ‘Who are you?’ one demands in a gruff tone. ‘Why do you seek entry to Tahou?’

  If you have an Invitation and wish to show it, turn to 321.

  If you wish to tell the guards that you have come to offer your services in the defence of the city, turn to 196.

  If you wish to say that you intend to enter the Tahou Cauldron, turn to 60.

  101

  Pulses of psychic energy leap from the gem, washing over you in waves that leave you shaking and breathless. Your Psi-screen protects your nervous system but you are unable to stop the pulses from penetrating deep into your mind. The man commands you to reveal the real reason you are here. Steadily he increases the force of his mind-gem until you can no longer resist.

  Turn to 305.

  102

  Four muscular mercenaries, all wearing tunics of emerald green leather emblazoned with the owl's head crest of Delden, rise from their seats near the fire and stare coldly in your direction. They point at the soldiers at your table, curse loudly, and then strut across the crowded hall, barging aside anyone that gets in their way. The two soldiers break out in a sweat and glare at each other fearfully.

  ‘Treacherous scum!’ spits the leading mercenary, grabbing them both by the collar and hauling them to their feet. ‘A thousand Lune went missing from the regiment's pay chest the night you two were supposed to be guarding it. Neither o' you have got brains or guts enough to steal it yourselves, so who was it, eh?’

  The soldiers are scared out of their wits. They have no idea who stole the money, but they know their leader will have them flogged to death unless they tell him what he wants to know. In desperation, one of the men points a trembling finger at you and Banedon. ‘It was them … they did it, they did it!’

  If you wish to deny this false charge, turn to 127.

  If you wish to avoid a confrontation by leaving the eating house, turn to 98.

  If you wish to draw a weapon in case the mercenaries attack you out of hand, turn to 308.

  103

  The approach to the village is deserted: it is as if its inhabitants have simply dropped everything and left in a great hurry. A window shutter slams repeatedly in the breeze and a rusty sign, hanging by chains from a warehouse beam, squeaks like a hungry rat; they are the only sounds you hear as you advance cautiously along the narrow, cobbled wharf. As you reach the corner of the warehouse you stop your horse dead in its tracks. You can hear the harsh voices of Giak soldiers.

  Turn to 120.

  104

  As you step from the hollow, a weight drops onto your back and drags you to your knees. Long, sharp fingers, as hard as steel, clamp around your throat and the sound of gnashing fangs fills your ears. You twist and roll, hoping to break from the creature's grip, but its hold is unnaturally strong.

  Ghoul: COMBAT SKILL 18 ENDURANCE 29

  Reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 3 points for the duration of the fight unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery or Divination. If you wield the Sommerswerd in this combat, you may double this undead creature's ENDURANCE point loss.

  If you win and the fight lasts three rounds or less, turn to 228.

  If you win and the fight lasts longer than three rounds, turn to 322.

  105

  Gwynian dispatches a messenger to the Anarium, the House of the Senate, where members of the governing council have gathered for an emergency assembly called by the President himself. Within the hour, the messenger returns with a furled parchment bearing the presidential seal. ‘He has agreed to hear your plea, Lone Wolf,’ says Gwynian, his eyes scanning the official reply. This news raises your flagging spirits but the sage seems a little disappointed.

  ‘I was hoping for a private audience with the President,’ he says, ‘but in view of the current crisis, I suppose it is the best we can expect. You must appear before the Senate this evening, and state your reasons for wishing to enter the Tahou Cauldron. They will consider your request and vote accordingly. Their decision will be final.’

  He hands you the scroll and arranges for his personal carriage to take you to the Anarium. As you climb aboard and sink into the plush, upholstered seat, you exchange a farewell wave with Gwynian the Sage. ‘May the gods watch over you,’ he says, ‘and may you live to fulfil your destiny.’

  Turn to 300.

  106

  The seed explodes with a flash and illuminates the staircase with its vivid yellow flame. Halfway down the stairs you notice an object that was dropped by one of the reptilians as it made its hasty escape. It is a hexagonal piece of metal, embossed with a numerical design.

  If you have seen and examined one of these hexagonal tokens at a previous stage in your quest, turn to 161.

  If you have never examined one of these tokens before, you may look at this one; turn to 283.

  Or you may leave it untouched and descend the stairs; turn to 130.

  107

  A gurgling scream echoes from the alleyway — your Arrow has found its mark. Seconds later the Giak staggers into view, its arms thrashing wildly as it tries to grab hold of the shaft buried deep in the middle of its back. In desperation, it draws a dagger from its boot and attempts to throw it at you, but a wave of pain engulfs the creature at that moment and the vicious blade slips harmlessly from its grasp. With one last curse it swoons and drops lifelessly to the ground.

  If you wish to search the bodies of the slain Giaks, turn to 172.

  If you wish to leave and follow the track that leads out of the village, turn to 63.

  108

  The wagon races along the rubble-strewn street towards a tower, one of many that reinforce the city wall. Standing at the top of the tower is your companion, Banedon. You ask the captain to stop and let you speak to your old friend, but he refuses even to slow down. ‘I must reach the North Gate without delay!’ he bellows, and whips the horses to increase their speed.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination, turn to 272.

  If you wish to jump off the wagon as it passes the tower, turn to 230.

  If you choose to stay on the wagon and go to the North Gate with the captain, turn to 340.

  109

  ‘We're both students of Chiban the Magician,’ says Banedon, hurriedly trying to defuse the situation. ‘He lives at the Guild-house on Leech Street in the North District. He will vouch for us.’

  ‘Hold your tongue!’ snaps the commander at your startled companion. ‘I want your friend to tell me something about this city, the city that he is prepared to lay down his life for.’ He moves nearer and stares at you icily. ‘In which district of Tahou is the Cauldron to be found?’

  You know that the city is divided into four districts each named after a point of the compass, but you cannot recall in which district the Cauldron lies.

  If you choose to answer, ‘The North District’, turn to 26.

  If you choose to answer, ‘The South District’, turn to 65.

  If you decide to answer, ‘The West District’, turn to 255.

  If you wish to answer, ‘The East District’
, turn to 178.

  If you decide to give no answer at all, turn to 333.

  110

  This narrow thoroughfare descends to a maze of broken streets and dank passages that carry traffic to and from the city's North District. Guided by your basic Kai tracking skill, you wend your way through the dingy lanes until you arrive finally at Leech Street and the house of Chiban the Magician.

  Turn to 75.

  111

  Your passage through the wheat fields is slow and laborious. Drainage ditches, cut seemingly at random, criss-cross the plain. They ensnare your horse's hooves causing him to stumble and fall. Twice you are thrown, and on the second occasion you gash your head badly on a jagged rock — lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  Later, by chance, you happen upon a cart track that crosses the plain from left to right.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination and have reached the rank of Primate or higher, turn to 262.

  If you wish to follow the track to the left, turn to 45.

  If you wish to follow the track to the right, turn to 63.

  112

  The last thing you see is the huge stone ball as it falls on you.

  Tragically, you lose your life here at the siege of Tahou.

  113

  A guard pushes open the enclosure gate and motions you to leave. You are free to enter the city, but your horses are impounded. You protest and demand that they be returned, but to no avail. ‘Order of the Senate,’ says the commander, offhandedly, ‘an emergency decree. All horses belonging to the civil population must be delivered into the care of the garrison stables until the state of emergency is lifted.’

  Reluctantly you allow the guards to take your steeds and, as they are being led away, the commander hands you each a piece of vellum stamped with a date and a number. ‘Receipts for the horses,’ he says, his tone noticeably more friendly.

  You pocket the Receipt (mark this on your Action Chart as a Special Item that you keep in your pocket; owing to its size you need not discard another item in its favour if you already have your maximum number of items) and are about to walk away when he calls out, ‘Report to the citadel first thing in the morning. You'll be allocated your battle positions for when the enemy attack.’

  Turn to 242.

  114

  With determined strokes you rise through the black water and break the surface, coughing and gasping for air. At first the incredible coldness stunned your senses, but now it revives them and spurs you to swim towards the distant shore, gleaming faintly in the half-light.

  Aching and numb to the bone, you heave yourself out of the lake and collapse on the flat, spongy rocks that line the shore.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination, turn to 298.

  If you do not possess this skill, turn to 41.

  115

  It is the father's turn to ask a riddle, but firstly you must decide on your stake. You can choose to gamble either one Special Item or three Backpack Items. If you should fail to answer the riddle correctly you will forfeit the item (or items) you have staked. If you answer the riddle correctly you will win the chance to pick any two items from the father's hoard of valuables. On your Action Chart mark the item or items that you wish to stake.

  A hush descends as you wait for the riddle patiently. The father, whose name is Khmar, draws his dagger from its scabbard and lays it on the table. Then he rests his hand on the shoulder of his eldest son and says, ‘This dagger is now half as old as my son Loen was when the dagger was new. Loen is now fifteen years old. How old is the dagger?’

  If you think you can answer the riddle, turn to the entry number that is the same as the answer.6

  If you cannot answer the riddle, turn to 204.

  [6] The section corresponding to the correct answer to Khmar's riddle will have a footnote confirming that it is indeed correct.

  116

  The reptilians see a glint of light reflected in the mirror and they discharge their weapon at the gap in the door. Only the speed of your reflexes saves you from death as a bolt of energy explodes with a deafening noise, showering you with sparks and fragments of stone. Wiping the grit from your eyes, you seize the chance to attack the reptilians. As you emerge from the blackened hole in the door, their long jaws drop open in shocked surprise.

  Crocaryx: COMBAT SKILL 12 ENDURANCE 38

  These creatures are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge). Owing to the surprise of your attack, ignore any ENDURANCE losses that you sustain in the first two rounds of combat.

  If you win the fight, turn to 241.

  117

  The guard receives a fatal wound to the heart. He gasps, his sword slipping from his fingers as he crashes lifelessly to the floor.

  Turn to 177.

  118

  Your Magnakai Discipline enables you to filter air from the massive dust cloud without inhaling any of the harmful grit. The cloud contains spores of a fungus that is deadly to humans, but your Kai skill shields you from these perilous microscopic cells.

  Turn to 233.

  119

  The vicious blade pierces your skin, but you pull away instinctively, saving yourself from a far more serious wounding: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  Drawing blood has made the mercenaries overconfident. They advance around the table, cursing and taunting you with their knives.

  Drunken Mercenaries: COMBAT SKILL 18 ENDURANCE 30

  If you wish to evade combat, turn to 49.

  If you stay and win the combat, turn to 170.

  120

  Silently you slip from the saddle and peer around the corner. In the middle of the street beyond, a company of Giak scouts are sifting through items they have looted from the village. Two of the evil creatures are loading their booty onto the back of a Kraan, a large, black-winged creature, while the others cram their ill-gotten gains in their pockets and packs. What they cannot carry they delight in despoiling, leaving behind a trail of filth and debris in the buildings they have ransacked.

  ‘Oka der!’ shouts their officer, brandishing a long, black sword with a jagged edge. ‘Akamaza ek!’ His greedy soldiers are reluctant to obey his commands, but a few blows with the flat of his blade quickly change their minds. Muttering and snarling, they scurry off into a side alley, reappearing a few minutes later astride large, grey wolves. ‘Rekenara kluz!’ growls the officer, and the pack ride out of the village, heading north along the bank of the River Churdas.

  Illustration VII—Two Giak scouts are loading their booty on to the back of a Kraan.

  The Kraan and its two riders take to the air, but the beast is so overburdened with loot that it cannot clear the rooftops. Frantically it beats its leathery wings, hovering erratically just a few feet off the ground. The Giaks urge it on with kicks and punches, but to no avail. Suddenly it lurches forward and the Giaks tumble head-first onto the cobblestones a few feet from where you stand. ‘Orgadaka!’ they cry, as they catch sight of you and Banedon hiding at the corner.

  If you have a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 12.

  If you wish to attack the Giaks with a hand weapon before they have a chance to stand, turn to 285.

  If you choose to avoid combat by remounting your horse and galloping along the track that leads out of the village, turn to 63.

  121

  The sound of your running feet is lost amid the noise and bustle of the crowded hall, and the guards do not hear you as you sprint towards their backs. All they see is a blur of green as you duck under their crossed halberds and disappear into the teeming throng.

  Turn to 39.

  122

  Fearfully you approach the shadow until you can discern its gruesome features. It is a ghoul, similar to those you encountered in the hollow, but this creature looks even less human. Its swollen skull is set lopsided on its withered frame, and the long black tongue that hangs from its jagged mouth drips with a sticky black venom that bubbles like boiling acid as it hits the ground. It raises a wasted hand and a cone of
mist whirls towards your chest.

  If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen, turn to 203.

  If you do not possess this Magnakai skill, turn to 191.

  123

  A rough dirt track leads away from the hut and into the hills above. It is a precarious path to follow, especially on horseback and at dusk. Only your quick wits and Kai skills keep you and your horse from plunging into the steep-sided gullies that border the rocky track.

  Eventually you arrive at a junction, where the path meets a wider road heading north and south. A signpost lies shattered on the ground, but instinctively you know that the north route leads to Tahou. You point the way and Banedon acknowledges your signal with a wave. As you turn onto the highway you suddenly feel that you are being watched. Pinpoints of red fire glint in the darkness and the sound of hungry, panting Doomwolves comes to you on the night air. Before you can shout a warning, a shrill scream splits the night — it is the chilling sound of a Giak battle-cry. You are being attacked.