The Curse of Naar

by Joe Dever

If you choose to stand and fight them, turn to 32.

  230

  You use your Grand Huntmastery skills to improve your mobility as you trek across the dangerous terrain which separates you from the distant volcanic crater. However, despite your ability and agility, during this trek you incur several minor injuries: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  To continue, turn to 86.

  231

  You reach up and grab one of the supporting beams, but your fingers slip on its dusty surface and you fall heavily on your back. Winded by the impact, you fail to scramble to your feet in time to avoid the onrushing leviathan. This gigantic beetle-creature slams you to the ground and flattens you beneath its vast bulk, yet amazingly you survive this collision — but not for very long. Trailing in the creature's wake is a long line of wagons piled high with grey metallic ore. You are hit by several of these heavy iron carriages and killed.

  Tragically, your life and your quest end here in the Mines of Zantaz.

  232

  Gradually the sea mist clears and you catch sight of land on the horizon. Your senses tingle with expectation for you have now entered a new realm of the Plane of Darkness and you are aware of several dramatic changes to your immediate surroundings. The sluggish grey sea has become a muddy brown sludge that clings to your paddle like marsh slime. Every time you break the crusty surface a cloud of tiny black insects erupts from the slime and soars into the warm, fetid air. The sky above is no longer green; it is a bilious yellow and it is streaked with high clouds that flash intermittently with sheet lightning.

  Despite the glue-like consistency of the ocean, you detect a strong tidal undertow. Rather than fight it you decide to cease paddling and allow it to carry you towards the distant shore. While you wait for the current to do its work, you retrieve the Tome of Darkness from your Backpack and turn through its pages in the hope of learning some of the secrets of this new, foul-smelling realm.

  The page that revealed to you information about Nza'pok's realm is now blank, but the one following it has changed in both colour and texture. Lines of spidery writing have appeared on a page that now looks and feels like cured animal hide. Once again, using your Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship, you are able to decipher much of this arcane text.

  The writings tell of two powerful beings called the Künae, the Lords of Decay, and of their Throne of Power which is located upon ‘the rotting corpse of Ghandezh, the Wyrm of Naaros’. You scan the page, passing over a long list of vile deeds that have earned the Künae the right to rule their ignoble realm, until you come to the part which details the secret names which can bind them. The names are ‘Jantoor’ and ‘Rhunadan’. The text instructs those who would use these names in the presence of the Künae to exercise great caution, for if the name that is spoken is not directed at the correct Lord of Decay, the ‘evocator will sacrifice his body and soul and be enslaved to the Künae forever upon the realm of putrefaction’. The text gives no indication of how to identify each of the Künae and does not state how and when their secret names should be used to bind them. Yet it does state that in order to leave their realm one must possess a ‘ring of power’, one of two such rings which exist and are worn ‘upon the first fingers of the right hands of the Künae’.

  You close the Tome and stow it in your Backpack. Time has passed rapidly while you have been consulting the book, and your canoe is now but a few hundred yards from the shore. Directly ahead you can see the estuary of a river, and away to your left you note a stony beach which gently ascends to a forest of grey-green trees.

  If you wish to paddle your canoe into the river estuary, turn to 216.

  If you decide to beach your craft on the stony shore and explore the forest beyond, turn to 85.

  233

  You are within ten feet of the threshold of the Gates of Darkness when a silver bolt passes clean through your left shoulder and the shock of its impact slams you to the ground: lose 5 ENDURANCE points.

  Gritting your teeth against the agonizing pain, you stagger to your feet and then hurl yourself forwards into the darkness of the void.

  To continue, turn to 60.

  234

  As the beast leaps from the ramp you jump into the air, pivot in mid-flight, and bring your weapon crashing down upon the top of its skull. The power of your blow deflects the creature and sends it slamming into the wall. It growls in surprise and pain but it does not forget its hunger; it simply shakes its bloodied head and springs once more towards you. Dodging this clumsy attack with ease, you let loose a backhanded swipe which slices a chunk of flesh and muscle from its furry shoulder. It yelps and writhes against the pain, but it still refuses to give up the fight. With lightning speed it recovers and lunges for your chest with its claws. You sidestep but it succeeds in knocking you backwards as its heavy bulk glances your arm. Cursing its tenacity, you steel yourself for what will be a desperate fight to the finish.

  Ghazoul: COMBAT SKILL 50 ENDURANCE 40

  This creature is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-blast and Kai-ray.

  If you win the combat, turn to 36.

  235

  Your stealth and Kai skills keep you safe from the gaze of the Lavas. Undetected, you reach the open archway at the base of the tower and descend a spiral stone stairway which leads to a landing, one level below. It is here that you see something that brings you skidding to an abrupt halt.

  Turn to 270.

  236

  Immediately the swarm of insects falls silent and you sense that your psychic attack has had a devastating effect upon their rudimentary minds (in this instance, you need only reduce your ENDURANCE score by 2 for using this form of attack).

  For a few moments the insects are rendered motionless; then suddenly they re-animate and stream out of the hollow in all directions in a chaotic rush to escape. You watch as the last few disappear into the encroaching curtain of acidic rain and, when you are sure that the hollow beneath the stones is now empty of insects, you squeeze yourself through a gap and take shelter.

  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.

  237

  You do not have long to wait for the threat to materialize. Bursting from out of the smoky wall of the chamber comes Naar's fearsome champion, Kekataag the Avenger. He is attired in battle armour that glimmers like slime-dulled gold, and beneath his helmet there is a hollow skull-face from which emerges a sickly stench that permeates even the foul air of this hall. The skulls and bones of humans bedeck his armoured hide and in his mighty hands he carries a great two-handed axe, its blade stained black with the blood of his countless victims.

  This terrifying warrior mesmerizes you with his glowing eyes and you feel waves of powerful psychic energy buffet your mind.

  If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 121.

  If you possess Skarn-Ska, turn to 211.

  If you do not possess either of these Special Items, turn to 282.

  238

  You draw on your Grand Mastery to summon a fog from the surrou
nding mire. Instantly a bank of impenetrable mist arises from the stagnant slime and engulfs your body, obscuring you from the sight of the attacking swarm. You hear them buzzing angrily in frustration but then their noise gradually fades as they trail away in confusion across the swamp.

  You move forwards and emerge from the fog to find yourself standing beside the mound of stone slabs. The hollow beneath the stones is now empty of insects and so you squeeze yourself through a gap and take shelter here from the rain.

  Turn to 112.

  239

  A closer look at the raised stonework surrounding the trapdoor reveals an unbroken line of engravings that flow around a number of square indentations in the scorched basalt. You focus on these and your Kai senses reveal them to be part of a combination lock which activates the spell that protects this hatch. If you press the correct number of hollows in the correct order, you will cause the shielding spell to vanish.

  Carefully you study the engravings and decipher a series of clues within their shapes which help you to deduce the correct number of hollows, and the order in which they must be pressed. This secret sequence is equal to exactly half the value of the runic number inscribed on the inner band of the Künae Ring.

  If you think you know what this secret number is, turn now to the entry that is the same as your answer.11

  If you do not know the answer, turn to 172.

  [11] The section corresponding to the correct answer will have a footnote confirming that it is indeed correct.

  240

  You attempt to use your improved Kai Discipline to alter your weight and free yourself from the cloying mud before the sinister arachnids close in for the kill.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If your current ENDURANCE points score is 12 or less, deduct 2 from the number you have picked.

  If your total score is now 4 or lower, turn to 94.

  If it is 5 or higher, turn to 120.

  241

  You are halfway across the bridge when you are spotted by a Lavas passing high overhead. Immediately it signals to two of its companions and all three creatures swoop down to block your exit. Their cries of alarm attract more than two dozen of their kin, and also alert a party of reptilians at the chasm's edge. At a given command they close in and attack you mercilessly with their spears and tridents. You fight them with stunning bravery, dispatching more than ten Lavas and seven reptilians before eventually you succumb to their sheer weight of numbers.

  Sadly, your life and your quest end here on the Huan'zhor Chasm Bridge.

  242

  You use your advanced ability to form a shield around your mind as a defence against a possible psychic assault. This precaution proves to be a wise one for as the net hits the ground, the Dentaag unleash a violent psychic attack in an attempt to weaken and subdue you.

  Turn to 82.

  243

  In unison, the robed figures levitate several paces from the floor so that they are able to rest the pillow and phial upon the surface of the great marble table. Then silently they lower themselves back to the ground where they wait patiently for the Demoness to stir from her slumber. After several minutes she raises her head and you are shocked to see that her womanly face is hideously scarred and disfigured.

  Illustration XV—You are shocked to see the Demoness's hideously scarred and disfigured face.

  ‘Ah, my lieutenants,’ she says, yawning and stretching her arms wide, ‘I see your work is complete. By Naar, I hunger for revenge upon Avarvae! I trust your elixir will make her pay for the torment she has wrought me.’

  ‘All is ready, supreme mistress,’ reply the robed ones, sycophantically. Clearly their answer pleases the Demoness. Her ruined face twists into the semblance of a smile as she picks up the phial and examines it closely. The glass bottle looks especially fragile and tiny as she holds it between her gigantic index finger and thumb.

  ‘Excellent!’ she murmurs. ‘Soon she shall pay for what she did to me.’

  The Demoness Shamath rises from her throne and turns towards the seething pool of black fluid which is set into the floor close by. The shimmering waters grow calm and you see her scarred reflection in the pool. Then the fluids seethe afresh and her image swirls and changes. When it reforms you see, to your horror, that the reflection is no longer that of the Demoness. The face staring back from the surface of the pool is yours!

  ‘Ayeeeeeee!’ howls Shamath. ‘It is Lone Wolf! The Kai Lord is here!’

  If you have ever encountered Demoness Shamath in a previous Lone Wolf adventure, turn to 22.

  If you have never encountered this being before, turn to 227.

  244

  You insert the point of the Arrow into the slot and instantly you are blinded by a flash of brilliant white light. A searing pain runs down the length of your arm and you are thrown backwards by this sudden release of energy: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.

  The Arrow has been reduced to cinders by the sudden flash (erase this from your Quiver), but at least it has served its purpose. As the crackling noise of the electrical discharge gradually fades, you hear another sound, a grating squeal. Anxiously you watch as the great portal slowly swings open.

  Turn to 343.

  245

  You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Teleport and focus your eyes upon the distant volcano. At once you feel yourself rising up from the uncertain soil, and then you soar like an eagle through the acrid burning air towards the distant crater.

  The use of this Brotherhood Spell costs you 2 ENDURANCE points, yet it saves you from a difficult and perilous trek across dangerous terrain.

  To continue, turn to 86.

  246

  Drawing once again upon your knowledge of Brotherhood magic, you utter the words of the spell Teleport and will yourself to move through the air towards a place on the far side of the clearing, close to the jungle perimeter. At first the arachnids come scurrying onto the shore to follow your line of flight, but you quickly outdistance them and they lose interest and return to the muddy river. As you descend to make your landing you see that, in frustration, they have turned their attention to your grounded canoe which they rip apart with their powerful jaws.

  The moment your feet touch the ground, you rush into the jungle and take cover in the dense undergrowth where you happen upon the remnants of a track. You follow this overgrown trail for nearly a mile until you come to the edge of another clearing. This expanse of level ground is devoid of foliage yet it is littered with strange fruits that resemble gigantic grey pineapples. Beyond these curious fruits you can see the ruins of a settlement partially overgrown with moss. Warily you leave the jungle, making your way around the fruits, and hurry across the clearing towards a statue which is crouching among the ruins. It is constructed of a smooth, lustrous black mineral and is fashioned in the likeness of some evil beast of prey. It reminds you of a hyena, but one with a massive lower jaw set with a pair of sabre-toothed fangs. Between its forelegs is a flight of rubble-strewn steps leading down to an open door. You detect waves of power emanating from somewhere beyond this darkened doorway, but you are unable to determine just how deep below the ground the source of this energy is located.

  If you possess Telegnosis and wish to use this skill to spirit-walk through the doorway to investigate what lies beyond, turn to 76.

  If you do not possess this skill, or choose not to use it, turn to 177.

  247

  You concentrate upon the insect hive and direct a powerful Kai-blast at its core.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. For every level of rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, add 1 to the number you have picked.

  If your total score is now 6 or less, turn to 167.

  If your score is 7 or higher, turn to 236.

  248

  Beyond the Bridge of the Damned, you enter the vast forest of fire that encircles the perimeter of Naar's realm. You sense that your Platinum Amulet is keeping you safe from the hellish heat
of this region, and your Kai ability to spirit-walk is propelling you on a swift and steady course towards the central crater.

  Upon reaching the lip of this crater, the forest of fire comes to an abrupt end and you get your first clear view of the desolation which surrounds the stronghold of Dazganon. Cosmic winds blow across this barren plain, moaning like tortured souls. Now and then you hear cries of pain, bursts of mocking laughter, and haunting alien howls that chill your blood. Then you see swirling gossamer shapes that grow and multiply as your psychic senses become attuned to their presence. Millions of evil souls are swirling around the crater which encompasses Naar's stronghold, and as you watch their endless passage with a sense of awe and disbelief, you realize that this is the Plain of Despair detailed upon the last page of the Tome of Darkness. You stare at the ceaseless torment of these evil souls and you are deeply shocked by the visage of one spirit which rises out of the howling mass.

  If you have ever visited the Isle of Khor in a previous Lone Wolf adventure, turn to 79.

  If you have never visited this place, turn to 207.

  249

  The swirling spirit of Cadak condenses and shapes itself into a column of flickering light. It now resembles a large candle flame, but one that radiates an icy coldness. Within this chill flame you see Cadak's evil eyes glowing hypnotically. You draw on your psychic defences to shield yourself from an imminent attack, and moments later, you feel pulses of energy bombarding the wall that you have erected around your mind. You sense that your speedy and successful defence has greatly weakened your old enemy. You are about to turn the tables by launching a counterattack when suddenly you hear something quite unexpected.