The Curse of Naar

by Joe Dever

  189

  Your camouflage proves to be inadequate and your presence is swiftly detected by Naar's bodyguards. Then, with devastating speed and ruthlessness, a host of monstrous creatures descends upon you from the surrounding maze of tunnels. You fight bravely but your resistance is to no avail; you are captured, disarmed, blinded, and hurled from the battlements of Dazganon out onto the Plain of Despair, where you are fallen upon by thousands of vengeful spirits, many of whom were slain by your hand. Your physical death is swift, but tragically your spirit is doomed to spend the rest of eternity running endlessly with the host of lost souls, here upon the Plain of Despair.

  Your life and your quest end here.

  190

  Your intuition and Kai Sixth Sense inform you that the circular slot is the keyhole to this portal. Not having the proper key to fit, you decide to improvise as best you can by using something metallic to trigger the lock.

  If you possess a Dagger, turn to 164.

  If you possess an Arrow, turn to 244.

  If you possess neither of these Weapons, turn to 199.

  191

  The insects fall under the spell of your mental command and enter the core of their hive to sleep. When all their number have entered and you are sure that it is safe to approach, you squeeze yourself through a gap in the stones and take shelter here from the rain.

  As you wait for the rain to abate, you inspect the inside of the hollow and the pendulous insect hive. Despite the seemingly haphazard lie of the stone slabs, the rain does not penetrate into the interior, and the inside of the hollow stays remarkably dry. On the ground lies a thick carpet of soft leathery leaves. They are spattered with a yellow, honey-like substance which is oozing from the base of the hive. It smells sweet but your Kai senses warn you not to taste any: it is poisonous. (If you wish to take some of this, record it on your Action Chart as Muntaag Honey. You can wrap it in a leaf and store it as a Backpack Item.)

  You are busy cleaning the acidic rain from your equipment with a handful of leaves when suddenly your Sixth Sense warns you of approaching danger. You peer out through a crack in the stones and catch sight of a flock of bat-winged creatures. They are swooping down from out of the rainy sky towards your hiding place.

  If you have ever been to the Ruins of Maaken in a previous Lone Wolf adventure, turn to 107.

  If you have never visited this place, turn to 252.

  192

  You are approaching the entrance when Alyss suddenly raises her bowed head and screams a telepathic warning that you are about to enter a trap. Instantly you skid to a halt, but moments later you feel a massive weight hit you between the shoulder blades. You have been struck by a powerful shock wave that propels you head-first through the bloodstained entrance to Naar's inner sanctum, which closes behind you like a rapidly healing wound.

  You leap to your feet and unsheathe your weapon in readiness to defend both Alyss and yourself against any threat that Naar may launch at you.

  Turn to 237.

  193

  You draw your magical blade and sever the blood-sucking vine with one swift stroke. The sundered creeper screeches as it recoils, spraying you with sticky green slime, and it whips away into the trees above. Gagging at the stench of the creature's foul ichor, you pull yourself upright and stagger away along the trail. You are within a few yards of the beach when your escape is suddenly blocked by a wall of flailing vines which descend with alarming speed from the canopy of low branches. You must fight them.

  Haemodyls: COMBAT SKILL 47 ENDURANCE 47

  These vine-creatures are especially vulnerable to your magical blade: add 2 to your COMBAT SKILL (in addition to all other combat bonuses for this Special Item) for the duration of this combat. Also, if you possess Animal Mastery, you may add a further 2 to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of this fight. However, these vines are immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-blast and Kai-ray.

  If you win the combat, turn to 19.

  194

  Upon reaching the lip of the crater you discover that the lining of the cone is surprisingly smooth. You look down to the vent at its centre and your suspicions are further aroused when you note that it is perfectly symmetrical. No natural volcanic forces could have created this precisely circular hole and it prompts you to slide into the cone to take a closer look. When you reach the vent you discover it consists of a circular platform of carved stone blocks with a well-like opening at its middle. It immediately reminds you of the Tahou Cauldron, a well in the centre of the city of Tahou which gives access to the ancient subterranean city of Zaaryx located a mile below its streets. However, unlike the open vent of the Tahou Cauldron, this hole is filled with a shimmering blue light.

  Turn to 331.

  195

  You press the Gold Crown into the circular slot and hear it fall into a hollow near the base of the door. Then there is a sudden crackle of electrical power and, with a grating squeal, the great portal slowly swings open.

  Remember to erase 1 Gold Crown from your Action Chart.

  To continue, turn to 343.

  196

  Your patience and your courage pay a handsome dividend. Like a streak of lightning, you race across the open bridge and reach the far side without being seen. Once safely across, you dive for cover in the empty lower storey of a newly-constructed dwelling, one of several that encircle the main temple. Here you pause to catch your breath and take some time to formulate a way of avoiding the many teams of reptilians who are busy building the crude block dwellings on this side of the chasm.

  Unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  To continue, turn to 220.

  197

  You unsheathe your weapon just in time to defend yourself against their ferocious attack.

  Avagnids: COMBAT SKILL 48 ENDURANCE 40

  These creatures are immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-ray. If you possess Animal Mastery you may add 2 to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of this fight.

  If you win the combat, turn to 316.

  198

  As you draw level with the great table, your eye is caught by the phial of potion lying upon its pillow of purple silk. You feel tempted to try to reach this container full of golden fluid, but you are wary of the enemy who are fast approaching, many of whom are armed with deadly crossbows. To attempt to retrieve this potion now could expose you to their missile fire.

  If you wish to try to retrieve this potion from atop the giant table, turn to 253.

  If you choose to ignore the potion, you may take cover behind the table by turning to 75.

  199

  Using your innate Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, you focus all of your mental powers on the circular slot and will the lock to disengage. You sense there is a magical resistance to your command which grows rapidly until there is a blinding flash of brilliant white light. A wave of searing heat explodes from the slot and you are thrown backwards by the blast: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.

  You are left dazed and singed by the sudden release of energy, but at least your efforts were not in vain. As the crackling noise of the electrical discharge gradually fades, you hear another sound, a grating squeal, and anxiously you watch as the great portal slowly swings open.

  Turn to 343.

  200

  Before the dragon-gate stands an armoured colossus. Clad from horned helm to booted foot in glowing black plate armour, this mighty warrior stands a full arm's length taller than yourself and radiates an evil so intense that you feel your skin crawling with fear and revulsion. In his right hand he wields a broadsword carved with runes of power, and in his left a dagger that bleeds scarlet venom. He raises the sword and spears of blue lightning arc from the surrounding chasm wall to earth themselves upon the hilt of his unholy blade. You launch a psychic probe to test the mental defences of this god-like warrior and you are shocked when you fail to locate his Mindforce. You sense that this being is a living entity, a
nd that he is the source of the power that has drawn you to this chasm, yet it is as if his mind has been erased. He has the psyche of an automaton: cold, brutal, and utterly unhuman. His mental state presents a formidable defence against your powerful psychic abilities, rendering them near-useless. Yet where your psychic skills may fail, your agility and your mastery of conventional combat may prove especially effective against this hulking foe.

  Illustration XII—The colossus has the psyche of an automaton: cold, brutal, and utterly inhuman.

  If you possess a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 336.

  If you do not possess a Bow or choose not to use it, turn to 26.

  201

  Pouring from the mouth of every tunnel that converges upon the antechamber outside Shamath's Throne Room is a howling host of robed and skeletal creatures. The skeletal beings are armed with short swords and they march slowly with stiff machine-like movements, whilst the robed creatures shriek, howl, and move like demons. They streak ahead of their lumbering skeletal comrades and, as they burst into the Throne Room, you see that they are armed with gleaming silver crossbows. Fearful of being struck by a bolt fired from one of these formidable weapons, you dash to take cover behind Shamath's great marble table.

  If you possess Telegnosis, turn to 104.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 198.

  202

  The ridge leads you more than a mile into this unwholesome morass, yet you encounter no sign of animal life. A strange quietness overhangs the swamp, an eerie calm which accentuates the aura of evil that is radiating from every rock and murky pool.

  As you press on, the cloudy green sky begins to darken and you sense a storm approaching. Minutes later, a gentle rain begins to fall which turns the surface of the swamp a milky blue. You raise the hood of your cloak and continue, but suddenly you notice that your clothes are giving off wisps of smoke where they have been spattered by the rain. This rain is not water: it is a vile and corrosive acid. Your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus protects your flesh from the effects of this acidic rain, but your clothing and equipment are vulnerable. Rather than risk them being ruined, you look around for some place to shelter from the coming storm. The only cover that you are able to discern is a clump of stunted, thorn-studded trees which stand upon a knoll several hundred yards ahead.

  If you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, turn to 123.

  If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 78.

  203

  Your Arrow buries itself deeply into the creature's throat and brings it crashing to the ground. Howling with pain, it rises unsteadily and looks at you with eyes that blaze like two fiery suns. It has suffered a near-fatal wound yet you sense it still possesses strength enough to rend you limb from limb. You draw another Arrow to your Bow but the sight is enough to break the creature's nerve and, with a final shriek, it scrambles away up the ramp. You watch it disappear through the archway before you shoulder your Bow and turn your attention to the portal. You are anxious to examine its surface and find a way to open it.

  Using your advanced Kai skills you are able to decipher enough of the runic text to discover the secret code which keeps it secure. Confidently you press a section of the surface and it moves inwards with an audible clunk! Moments later, the portal creaks open and you hurry through before it slams shut with a resounding boom.

  Turn to 210.

  204

  From your sanctuary among the roof beams you watch as the ore train careers along the tunnel and disappears like a tornado into the distant gloom. When you can no longer hear its thunderous roar, you leap to the ground and press on along the tunnel to where a new passageway branches off to the right. Your gnawing desire to find the Moonstone prompts you to explore this tunnel and you follow it for several hundred yards until you reach a dank and empty cavern. Streams of ore-rich water run down the walls of this chamber, staining them a rusty shade of brown. You are hungry and you decide to stop and rest here for a while. Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  While you are resting, you decide to consult the Tome of Darkness to see if it has any useful information about this strange subterranean complex.

  Turn to 33.

  205

  You sense that the dragon suspects that it has a stowaway hiding amongst its cargo, but its eyesight is poor and it is not sure of what it sees. However, you dare not run the risk of the beast alerting the Lavas that are flying close by. Their eyesight is keen and they would be sure to spot you. Quickly you muster your psychic Kai defences and natural camouflage skills in an attempt to keep yourself hidden.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If your current ENDURANCE score is 10 or lower, deduct 1 from the number you have picked. If it is 20 or higher, add 1.

  If your total score is now 2 or lower, turn to 305.

  If it is 3 or higher, turn to 102.

  206

  You gasp as one spear gouges your right leg and another clips your left elbow (lose 3 ENDURANCE points). Fortunately, both wounds are superficial and the pain quickly recedes when your natural Kai curing skills act to staunch the bleeding.

  Turn to 5.

  207

  You recognize the vengeful visage of Darklord Gnaag, the Archlord of Helgedad, who was destroyed by your hand and whose body was incarcerated in the ruins of Helgedad. As his tortured soul falls back into the howling mass, you begin to see others that you recognize immediately, for their evil countenances are etched indelibly upon your mind.

  The spirits of Darklords Haakon and Kraagenskûl are trapped upon this plain. So, too, are those of Warlord Magnaarn, many Cener Druids, Acolytes of Vashna, and Nadziranim and their Liganim minions.

  But there is one ghostly figure that is more terrifying than all the others, and when you see him appear at the back of the encircling ranks of tortured souls, he strikes a new chord of terror deep in your heart.

  Turn to 170.

  208

  Having determined that the force protecting this door is magical, you decide to cast the Brotherhood Spell Counterspell upon it to cancel its effect.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If your current ENDURANCE points score is 20 or higher, add 1 to the number you have picked. If your present Kai rank is Sun Thane or higher, add a further 1.

  If your total is now 6 or less, turn to 169.

  If it is 7 or more, turn to 87.

  209

  The moment you enter the beam, you feel yourself descending through the centre of the temple encased in a cocoon of shimmering blue light. Gradually the heat of the nest of fire gives way to a pleasant coolness, but as you continue your descent deeper and deeper into the unknown, this equable temperature slowly transforms into an unbearable icy chill. Never before have you experienced the terrible coldness that engulfs you now, and sadly you will never experience it again. For despite the protections of your Grand Master Disciplines and your Platinum Amulet, you do not possess the Scarab of the Wingless Dragon, the only artefact that can protect you from the supernatural cold of the domain through which you are passing.

  Tragically, your life and your quest come to a frozen end as you attempt to escape from the realm of Huan'zhor the Dragonlord.

  210

  The moment you pass through the portal you are assailed by an overwhelming odour of decay. The vile stench of putrefaction has been ever-present since you landed upon the shores of this unwholesome realm, but the reek that occupies the chamber you have now entered is immeasurably worse. Your innate Magnakai Discipline of Nexus protects you from the harmful effects of this diseased odour, yet even so you feel nauseous and heavy-headed: lose 1 ENDURANCE point.

  The walls drip with a yellow slime that radiates a dim fluorescence by which you can see an open archway in the far wall. Eager to escape from this stench-filled chamber, you enter and
explore a tunnel which lies beyond the archway. Unfortunately the stench is no better here. In fact, the further you explore this twisting passageway the worse it becomes. Yet you press on regardless, allowing your instincts and your Kai senses to guide you to the source of the alien power that lies somewhere within this foul lair.

  The tunnel continues for more than a mile, descending deeper by ramp and stair until it arrives at a vast circular chamber. Here you discover a huge door fashioned from a strange, shimmering green metal. Runes adorn its carved panels, mirroring those that are engraved in a large circle in the centre of the stone floor.

  If you have ever visited Mogaruith in a previous Lone Wolf adventure, turn to 265.

  If you have never visited this place, turn to 41.

  211

  You raise Skarn-Ska and a crackling arc of electricity leaps from the tip of the blade to arc itself to the floor near Kekataag's feet. You sense that Naar is present in this chamber, but he will not materialize and show himself so long as your blade is unsheathed, for he fears that your magically-forged weapon could wound and weaken him. He is content to allow his mighty champion Kekataag the pleasure of slaying you on his behalf.

  Illustration XIII—A crackling arc of electricity leaps from the tip of Skarn-Ska to Kekataag's feet.