by Joe Dever
[10] The Lantern is designed to be self-lighting. You will not need a Tinderbox or any other means of creating a flame to light it.
191
You try to dodge aside but the mist whirls around you like a snake. An intense heat burns your body — it is as if you are surrounded by coils of white-hot metal — and your mind is filled with terrifying images of the supernatural: lose 6 ENDURANCE points.
Confident that it has ensnared another victim, the grey ghoul stalks forward. You fight to clear your mind of the swirling visions as the creature raises its hand and prepares to strike you down with a pitted iron spike.
Psi-ghoul: COMBAT SKILL 20 ENDURANCE 30
Owing to the power of its psychic attack, you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 4 points for the duration of the fight. If you wield the Sommerswerd in this combat, you may double this undead creature's ENDURANCE point loss.
If you win the combat, turn to 87.
192
‘Hold him tight, lads,’ instructs the officer, as his men grab your cloak and tunic. ‘They want this Northlander at the South Gate. Seems he's been making a nuisance of himself.’
They march you back along Eastwall Lane. Minutes later you reach the tower, and the officer delivers you into the clutches of the angry gatehouse guard.
Turn to 162.
193
Slowly the cavalry draws nearer; the faces of the soldiers are stern and unsmiling beneath the peaks of their winged helmets. Their leader, a sergeant, makes a signal and the horsemen change formation, drawing into a circle that quickly closes around you. ‘State your business here!’ bellows the sergeant. ‘Why do you ride to Tahou?’
At first you are suspicious of their identity, but your basic Kai Sixth Sense tells you that these men are genuine Anarian rangers.
If you wish to tell the sergeant the real reason you are riding to Tahou, turn to 279.
If you have an Invitation and wish to show it to him, turn to 136.
If you demand what right they have to hinder your passage to the capital, turn to 343.
194
Your light flares into life, illuminating the rubbish-strewn passage. A moving shadow in the distance betrays the pickpocket, as he dives into a side entrance of a large, three-storey building. (If your source of light is a Torch, remember to erase it from your Action Chart.)
If you wish to follow him into the building, turn to 217.
If you decide to let him escape, you walk back to Brooker Court and continue on your way; turn to 334.
195
You throw out your hands to claw at the rope ladder but your fingers are numb with cold. You cannot close your grip, and with a scream of anguish, you slip and fall backwards into the black abyss. Your scream grows until you impact into a cold, wet avenue of Zaaryx, 200 feet below.
Your life and your quest end here.
196
The guards look at you with distrust in their eyes. They order you to dismount, and one of them hurries off to fetch the gatehouse commander. Minutes later the officer strides into the enclosure, his face wearing the frown of a man who has gone without sleep for many nights. Wearily he casts his eye over you both. ‘So you want to fight for Tahou, do you?’ he says, sarcastically. ‘How do I know you're not spies or saboteurs?’
If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility, turn to 42.
If you do not possess this skill, turn to 109.
197
The passage is dark and very narrow, and you are forced to turn sideways in order to move along it. To make matters worse, the floor is littered with large rocks that graze and bruise your legs, making it difficult for you to stay on your feet.
If you have a Kalte Firesphere, a Lantern, or a Torch and Tinderbox, turn to 14.
If you possess none of these items, turn to 327.
198
Your shaft pierces the engineer's throat, sending him toppling into the moat. In panic, the soldier drops his screen and runs back across the bridge towards the Drakkarim. They view this as an act of cowardice and kill him out of hand as a warning to the Salonese.
Your bow-skill has bought the defenders at the West Gate precious time to patch their battered defences. You are about to help them when a new threat looms to the north.
Turn to 249.
199
Your Magnakai Discipline of Divination screams a silent warning that the village harbours hostile enemies.
If you wish to investigate who these enemies might be, turn to 103.
If you choose to heed your Kai sense and ride back into the wheat fields, turn to 111.
200
You follow her along passages and sloping tunnels, down long flights of stairs and through magnificent chambers that no human eye has ever seen before. The alien splendour of this ancient city leaves you in awe of the race that once dwelt in these halls. For interminable hours you follow in her wake until you arrive at a circular chamber of rust-red stone. The floor descends in a series of wide steps that encircle the room, and in the middle of the tiers is a shallow pit with a stone dais at its centre.
Illustration XII—At your approach, the dais glows with a crimson light and pulses like a living heart.
At your approach, the dais glows with a crimson light that pulses like a living heart. Shimmering waves of silvery radiance sweep the steps and a chorus of voices, soft and sirenic, echo through the upper reaches of the chamber. You surrender yourself to instinct and step upon the dais, cupping your hands before you and raising your face to the roof. A golden light pours out of the darkness, soaking you in its brilliance and filling your senses with a glowing warmth. A gasp of awe arises from the tiers, now crowded with reptilians. They are the Crocaryx, the guardians of this city, the stewards of the Lorestone, who were placed here by the great God Kai. With joy and sorrow they have gathered to witness the fulfilment of their purpose, for your coming marks the end of their stewardship and the beginning of their demise.
High above you a shadow is taking form at the core of the golden light. It is dark and leathery and shaped like an egg. Slowly it breaks and peels open to reveal a sparkling crystal sphere: it is the Lorestone of Tahou, the object of your quest.
Turn to 150.
201
Immediately you sense that the drunken soldier is not what he seems. He is a skilful pickpocket and he has just stolen one of your Special Items.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. It the number you have chosen is 0–4, the item stolen is the first one on your list of Special Items. If the number is 5–9, he has stolen the second item on the list. If you possess only one Special Item, or no Special Items at all, then the pickpocket has stolen the first item on your list of Backpack Items.
If you wish to chase after him and try to retrieve your stolen item, turn to 62.
If you choose to ignore the robbery and continue walking towards the square at the end of Brooker Court, turn to 334.
202
Through the grille of the cell door you can see a great iron key, hanging from a hook on the wall a little way down the corridor. You focus your mastery of Nexus on this key, and it rises slowly from the hook and glides towards your open hand. With a smile of triumph you grab the key, unlock the door, and step into the empty corridor.
Turn to 185.
203
The mist coils around you like a python embracing its prey. Your body is engulfed by heat so intense that it seems as though you are surrounded by rings of white-hot metal, but your mind is filled with a stabbing icy pain. You lose 3 ENDURANCE points before your Psi-screen repels this psychic assault.
Turn to 301.
204
Neither you nor the plains farmers are able to answer Khmar's riddle correctly, and you all forfeit your stakes (remember to delete what you wagered from your Action Chart). But Khmar is a very sporting fellow. He offers you the chance to win back what you have just lost by answering his next riddle correctly.
‘This is Juno, my youngest boy,’ he say
s, patting the head of his second son. ‘I am four times as old as him now. Twenty years from now, I will be only twice as old as him. How old am I, and how old is my son today?’
If you think you have both the answers to this riddle, add the two ages together and turn to the entry number that is the same as the total.11
If you cannot answer the riddle, turn to 302.
[11] The section corresponding to the correct answer to Khmar's riddle will have a footnote confirming that it is indeed correct.
205
‘There will be troops posted here at the Cauldron, ready day and night to pull you up when you are ready to leave Zaaryx,’ says Senator Zilaris, as he helps you into the cradle that will lower you into the shaft. ‘Just give the rope three stout tugs — that is the signal.’
Senator Chil appears to tell you everything is prepared for your descent. ‘Good luck, Lone Wolf. I hope I will be here to welcome your safe and successful return, and that you will come to know me as a friend.’
The cradle rises and you are swung into position above the entrance. You stare down into the black abyss, your pulse quickening as a damp and icy wind whistles out of the shaft, carrying with it the cloying smell of decay.
With a wave, you signal your readiness and you are slowly lowered into the void.
Turn to 226.
206
A minute passes before the lurker shows himself. He is a hunchbacked old man dressed in rags, with thin grey hair and a wrinkled face that bears the impressions of a lifetime's poverty. Two eyes, clouded with cataracts, stare up at you from the dark and dusty hole in the ground. ‘Take what you will but please spare my worthless life,’ he pleads.
‘You have nothing to fear from me, old man,’ you reply. ‘Here, let me help you out of this hole.’ And so saying, you take hold of his scrawny arms and lift him with ease, for he weighs no more than a young child. He hobbles over to the fireplace and stirs the broth with a wooden spoon, which he keeps on a string around his neck. He offers you some of this smelly gruel but you refuse politely.
If you have a Meal in your Backpack and wish to offer it to the old man, turn to 271.
If you do not have a Meal or do not wish to give it to him, you leave the hut and continue, turn to 123.
207
A sudden noise in the chamber behind distracts your attention from the door. From the depths of an archway comes the sound of something huge creeping towards you on clawed feet. Instinctively you reach for a weapon and brace your back against the door, but you shudder with horror when you see the creature that is approaching. A monstrous head protrudes from the darkness, as broad as the body of a horse, with jagged fangs that curve down over its lower jaw. Interlocking plates of horny scale cover its long neck and body, and coarse, feathery hairs fan out from the scarlet wattle below its throat. Its bulbous green eyes fix you with a hungry stare.
If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 336.
If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 67.
208
With a casual wave of his hand, Chiban conjures up a quill and sheet of parchment. He begins to dictate the request for an audience, and the quill moves of its own accord, as if guided by an invisible hand. The request, once completed, is then dispatched by messenger to the Anarium, the House of the Senate, where members of the governing council have gathered for an emergency assembly called for by the President himself. Within the hour the messenger returns with a scroll bearing the presidential seal.
‘He has agreed to hear your plea, Lone Wolf,’ says the aged magician, his ice-blue eyes scanning the official reply. Banedon congratulates you and you feel your spirits rise, but Chiban seems a little disappointed. ‘I was expecting a private audience,’ he says, ‘but in view of the current situation, I suppose it is the best we can hope for. 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. If they grant their approval, only you may enter. If they forbid you entry, you may not appeal against it. Their decision will be final.’
He hands you the scroll and arranges for his personal coach to take you to the Anarium. As you climb into the passenger seat, he and Banedon wish you good luck. ‘I shall pray for your success,’ says Chiban. ‘And I shall pray that we are still alive to see your triumphant return, old friend,’ says Banedon, as you exchange a farewell wave.
Turn to 300.
209
Banedon rides alongside the crowded wagon and talks with Lortha as the procession continues on its way to Navasari. After a few minutes' conversation she hands him a scrap of parchment, and they bid each other farewell.
‘They are the last of the evacuees,’ he says, as you continue your ride north. ‘They expect the enemy to reach Tahou in two days' time. They've already seen Giak scouts and early this morning a squadron of Kraan were sighted high in the western skies. She advises us to steer clear of a village called Sidara. It's rumoured to have already fallen to the enemy. She also gave me this … ’
Banedon hands you the scrap of parchment. It contains a few lines of Anarian script, an address, and a signature. ‘It's an invitation to stay at Chiban and Lortha's house in Tahou. It may be useful when we reach the city gate.’
Mark this Invitation on your Action Chart as a Special Item that you keep in your pocket. If you already carry the maximum number of Special Items, you must discard one in favour of this new item.
To continue your journey north, turn to 274.
210
A surge of scarlet energy leaps from the orb and rips into your arm, hurling you backwards onto the ground (lose 5 ENDURANCE points). The Zakhan laughs mockingly as he raises the orb once more, this time to finish you for good. You are aware of the Zakhan's troops fighting a desperate battle at the West Gate, and you know you must defeat him or else the city will be lost.
If you possess a Psychic Ring, turn to 188.
If you possess the Dagger of Vashna, turn to 79.
If you have neither of these Special Items, turn to 20.
211
A cloud of arrows engulfs you and pain explodes throughout your body. You are mortally wounded, pierced by a dozen shafts, and although you fight to hang on to life, it is a fight you cannot win.
Your life and your quest end here.
212
The cellar is full of rough-faced villains, laughing and bragging about their illegal exploits as they swill their sour ale. You cross the crowded floor and sit at the end of a table, as far away from the door as possible. A thin, wiry fellow with curly black hair approaches you with a tankard of foaming ale in one hand. You have taken his seat and he is determined to get it back.
If you have ever escaped from the South Gate tower, turn to 164.
If not, turn to 315.
213
It is late afternoon when you see the Tahou Hills. They appear like a mirage on the horizon, shimmering beyond the haze that rises from the sun-baked plain. Without stopping for food or rest, you hurry across the hot grasslands and follow the highway as it ascends towards the mouth of a pass. A stone watchtower guards the entrance to the hills and a cluster of whitewashed huts lie huddled around its base.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship and have reached the Kai rank of Tutelary, turn to 160.
If you do not possess this skill or have yet to reach this level of Magnakai training, turn to 314.
214
You pull the ring from your pocket and focus your psychic abilities into its glowing yellow stone. The ring acts as an amplifier: it boosts your psychic energies and enables you to direct them against the monster that is now threatening to swallow you whole.
Zadragon: COMBAT SKILL 43 ENDURANCE 58
The power of the Psychic Ring increases your COMBAT SKILL by 8 points for the duration of the combat.
If you win the fight, turn to 93.
215
With deadly accuracy you hurl the dagger at the shouting g
uard. He tries to duck but he is too close and cannot avoid being hit.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Weaponmastery with Dagger, add 4 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 6 or less, turn to 287.
If it is 7 or more, turn to 117.
216
In the space of a few fleeting seconds you have loaded your Bow and aimed it at the giant snake's head. With an angry hiss it darts its ugly head out of view. Almost immediately there is a tremendous noise as the snake rises into the air, propelled by a pair of powerful feathered wings. Two vulture-like forelimbs, tipped with sharp, rending claws, scrabble at the air as it streaks towards your chest.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Weaponmastery with Bow, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, add 1.
If your total is now 0–7, turn to 9.
If it is 8 or more, turn to 310.
217
The moment you step into the building, the pickpocket lunges at you. He is wielding a cruel stiletto blade, which he attempts to sink into your chest.
