by Joe Dever
Drakkarim: COMBAT SKILL 22 ENDURANCE 32
If you win the combat, turn to 297.
116
The swirling mists draw in towards the marble block. They grow darker as they merge into a solid shape that resembles a huge, sabre-toothed jackal with smooth cream-coloured skin. Ice sheens on his muscular body and wisps of black smoke curl from his snuffling snout. Roark and his followers throw themselves to their knees and praise the creature devoutly. He responds by lowering his glowing eyes and regarding them with disdain.
Illustration VII—A huge, sabre-toothed jackal with cream-coloured skin regards them with disdain.
‘Why do you summon me here?’ he says, his voice deep and rasping. But before Roark can offer a reply, the Demonlord swivels his head in your direction and emits a fearful snarl.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen, turn to 26.
If you do not possess this skill, turn to 213.
117
The bear looks down at you kindly and raises its bloodstained paw. Gently it hooks a razor-sharp claw under the strap of your backpack and lifts you to your feet. Having just witnessed the power and ferocity of the creature, you are amazed at how tame it has become under the influence of your Kai Mastery. Suddenly something in the air disturbs him and you sense that he wants to leave this place, and he wants you to follow.
If you wish to follow the bear, turn to 58.
If not, turn to 3.
118
The sergeant screams an order and his men lunge forward, hoping to skewer you with their long straight swords. Coolly you parry their first attack and retreat just far enough to prevent them from getting behind you. With a yell of anger and frustration, the sergeant urges his men to attack you once more.
Partisan Horsemen: COMBAT SKILL 28 ENDURANCE 32
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, add 2 points to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of the fight.
You can evade combat after two rounds of fighting; turn to 39.
If you win the combat, turn to 239.
119
You draw an Arrow and let it fly at the leading creature. It pierces its hairless skull and sends it reeling into the bushes. The others gurgle their displeasure and fix you with their murderous black eyes as they make ready to rush forward and attack.
Krorn: COMBAT SKILL 20 ENDURANCE 33
If you win the combat, turn to 84.
120
The hoarse cries of soldiers and the blare of war trumpets announce preparations for an assault across the causeway. Armoured infantry gather in a spearhead formation and wait for the order to advance towards a wall of logs and earth, which has been thrown up to protect the vanguard troops dug in on the causeway itself. These warriors scuttle about behind their ramparts, holding arched wooden shields over their bent backs to protect them against the arrows raining down from the battlements. The iron gate stands less than fifty yards from their position, and this approach is heaped with the bodies of those who have fallen during previous assaults.
You accompany Lord Adamas as he makes his way through the massed ranks of infantry and enters a trench which zigzags towards the causeway. He stops at a log-lined hollow dug out of the trench wall and speaks with a captain who is lying there nursing a broken arm. The wounded officer hands him his leather satchel, and Adamas continues along the trench until he reaches the centre of the causeway. There you both take cover with the vanguard and peer through a slit in the log wall at the formidable entrance to Torgar.
Turn to 78.
121
Instinct saves you from sudden death. You twist aside to avoid the speeding shaft and it grazes your shoulder: lose 2 ENDURANCE points. But your enemy is now determined that you should die and hastily he reloads his bow.
If you have a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 36.
If you wish to dive for cover among the ruins, turn to 277.
If you wish to evade the sniper by running along an alley to your left, turn to 155.
122
When the horsemen catch sight of you they unsheathe their swords and bring their steeds to a halt. Their leader dismounts and approaches you with trepidation, his gleaming steel blade held ready in case of trickery. With nervous eyes he studies your travel-stained tunic while his men scour the surrounding hills.
‘What's your regiment, soldier?’ he demands gruffly. You return his strong stare and notice that he and his men are wearing red and grey surcoats embroidered with the emblem of an open hand. The only horsemen who wear this livery are the cavalry of Talestria.
If you wish to tell the officer that you are an Eruan Pathfinder, turn to 82.
If you decide to tell him that you are a Sommlending Kai Lord, turn to 339.
If you choose not to answer him at all, turn to 151.
123
The jump is made more hazardous by a tangle of trees and roots that cover the far side of the chasm. However, these obstacles do offer a secure anchor for a rope.
If you have a Rope and wish to use it, turn to 48.
If not, turn to 317.
124
Silently you move through the shallow sludge of water and mud, hidden by the bank of the ditch from the watchful eyes of the Drakkarim sentries. Beyond the ditch the ground rises to a low wall, which encircles a field of cultivated trees. It is an apple orchard and it is full of enemy soldiers, huddled around their campfires or asleep beneath the fruit-laden branches. Beyond the orchard lies an expanse of open grassland covered with tents and makeshift paddocks full of horses. Here, then, are Baron Shinzar's reinforcements — over 600 cavalry newly-arrived from Blackshroud. You commit every detail to memory before leaving the ditch and making your way back stealthily to the allies' camp.
The King and Prince Graygor praise the success of your scouting mission: the information you have gathered is of vital importance to their battle plans. The Prince senses that you are tired and orders his heralds to escort you back to his headquarters and prepare a comfortable bed for you. After the long day's march and the exertions of your scouting mission, you accept gratefully the chance of a good night's sleep.
Turn to 280.
125
Your journey northwards through the Moggador Forest is a long and tiring trek that is fraught with danger. Roving bands of Krorn and packs of savage timber wolves demand that you remain vigilant at all times, and as you venture deeper into their vast domain, you feel your sense of time gradually slipping away. Your only consolation on this long and lonely trek is that wild game is plentiful and you experience no shortage of food.
On the morning of your ninth day in the forest you notice that the grey pines are beginning to thin out and the ground is becoming dusty and sparsely vegetated. Soon you come upon a road constructed of broken stones which leaves the forest and disappears into a barren landscape of yellow sulphurous soil. You check your map and it confirms your suspicions: you have reached the foothills of the Nadulritzaga Mountains and are now less than twenty miles from the fortress of Torgar.
Turn to 140.
126
Baron Shinzar snarls an order and the Krorn pack moves towards you. They are not as tall as their leader but almost twice as broad, with arms like branches of a twisted tree that hang down below their knees. Awkwardly they shuffle on short bow legs, their gnarled skin shiny like knotted leather. A shiver runs down your spine as you recall what you have heard about these creatures — that they delight in eating their foes — but as they draw nearer you dismiss such thoughts and prepare for combat.
Illustration VIII—The Krorn pack shuffle towards you on short bow legs, their gnarled skin shiny like knotted leather.
Krorn Pack: COMBAT SKILL 23 ENDURANCE 60
If you win the combat, and the fight lasts four rounds or less, turn to 11.
If you win, and the fight lasts longer than four rounds, turn to 321.
127
A short distance from Lord Adamas' tent stands a wooden watchtower, constructed by hi
s army engineers, which offers an unobstructed view of the causeway and the great gate of Torgar. As you reach the top of its rickety ladder and step onto the platform beside the Lord Constable, he recounts the events that have led to the siege of this city-fortress.
Following his victory over the Ogians and the destruction of Xanar, Adamas led the allied armies of Bor, Talestria, and Palmyrion along the Blackshroud Trail in pursuit of the shattered enemy. When they reached the Agna-kor-kuzim, the ‘road of slaves’, the army of Bor was detached and sent to assail Blackshroud from the east, while the bulk of the allied forces marched north towards Torgar. When Talestria was overrun in the early days of the war, thousands of her people were taken as slaves and imprisoned here in this fortress. Lord Adamas had sworn that one day he would free them and he was determined to fulfil his pledge.
During the march north, a great battle was fought near the wastelands of Zuttezna, against two Giak armies led by Darklord Kraagenskûl and Darklord Chlanzor. Both were soundly defeated by the allies and sent back to Cragmantle to lick their wounds. Although victorious at Zuttezna, the allies had suffered heavy losses and Adamas feared they would be too weak to storm Torgar. He was too far from his homeland for reinforcements to reach him swiftly, and there was the growing threat that the Darklords would muster their troops in Tanoz and Mozgôar and attack again. Faced with this grave dilemma he decided to risk an assault on Torgar.
‘We have means to breach their iron gate,’ he says, staring purposefully at the great door of Torgar. ‘The Elder Magi have given us a device that will reduce it to twisted scrap, and when we march through that portal and free our people, we shall have all the reinforcements we need.’
Turn to 120.
128
The clasp that secures the amulet to the black chain around Tagazin's neck is a riveted link of iron. To break this link you must strike a blow that will destroy the rivet.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If the weapon you are using is a dagger or a quarterstaff, deduct 3 from the number you have picked. If the weapon you are using is an axe or a mace, add 1 to the number. If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, add 2 to the number.
If your total is now 6 or less, turn to 95.
If it is 7 or more, turn to 233.
129
You push open the tower door with your foot and a splash of morning sunlight illuminates the gloomy interior. Slowly the man raises his weather-browned face and a smile softens his craggy features as he recognizes the uniform you are wearing.
‘Welcome, Pathfinder,’ he says, his thick Eruan accent echoing around the empty stone chamber. ‘I am Halgar of Pirsi. Come and share my humble feast in celebration of our victory over the Drakkarim.’
He splits the roasted bird in two and tosses half to you. It tastes delicious. ‘I saw you approaching,’ he says, wiping away the grease from his mouth with the back of a calloused hand, ‘and I wagered you would stop to breakfast here. Where are you bound?’
You hesitate to answer, but your basic Kai Sixth Sense tells you that this man is no trickster. ‘I'm riding to Pirsi. I've orders to contact Sebb Jarel,’ you reply, hoping he will offer to tell you where the partisan leader may be found. Halgar narrows his sea-green eyes and strokes his chin thoughtfully.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility, turn to 331.
If you do not possess this skill, turn to 267.
130
You examine the lock and recognize its simple latch mechanism.
If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, turn to 328.
If you possess a Dagger, turn to 142.
If you possess neither this skill nor this Weapon, turn to 17.
131
You draw an Arrow and take aim at an archer just as he raises his bow to fire at you. Your shaft beats his: it buries itself in his chest and sends him spinning to the ground. Quickly you note that of the five men advancing towards you two are armed with bows.
If you have at least two Arrows in your Quiver and wish to fire at these men, turn to 344.
If you wish to try to escape by crossing the ford, turn to 166.
If you decide to shoulder your Bow and draw a hand weapon, turn to 251.
132
The men glare at you uncertainly. ‘If you've come here to kill me,’ says the pretender, ‘you've come on a suicide mission.’
Slowly the five rise to their feet and step away from the fire, their hands drifting casually towards the hilts of their swords. On a whispered cue they unsheathe their blades and attack you.
Partisans: COMBAT SKILL 24 ENDURANCE 36
You can evade combat at any time; turn to 23.
If you win the combat, turn to 170.
133
You draw the Sommerswerd and hold the shimmering blade before your face. The phantoms give a ghastly shriek as its golden light scorches the unnatural fabric of their forms. Unused to the sensation of pain, they recoil but they do not disperse or abandon their attack. Their need to feed on your life-force overcomes their fear of your sword. With a terrifying howl of anger they swirl around you and swoop down to attack.
Cener Ghosts: COMBAT SKILL 32 ENDURANCE 40
These undead beings are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge). Remember to double all ENDURANCE point losses sustained by the enemy due to the power of the Sommerswerd.
If you win the combat, turn to 156.
134
You dig your heels into the flanks of your horse but he reacts sluggishly: his senses have been dulled by the heady aroma of the flowers and he has barely enough strength to canter. A whirring sound fills your ears and instinctively you flatten yourself against the horse's neck as the sound grows louder. A bolas, three solid metal balls connected by strong cords tied together in the shape of a letter ‘Y’, skims your scalp and smashes into the base of the gorge. Frantically you urge your horse onwards, but he stumbles and his forelegs buckle beneath him. You are thrown forward and concussed as your head hits the ground: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
If you possess a Bullwhip, turn to 214.
If you do not have this Special Item, turn to 327.
135
Inch by inch you climb the sheer rock wall, transferring your weight from one hollow to the next with painstaking care. The higher you climb, the more you have to support yourself solely with your fingers until, at last, you reach up and take hold of a trailing mass of tree roots, which are strong enough to hold your weight. With great effort you haul yourself out of the chasm and collapse into the undergrowth: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
As soon as your strength returns, you check your equipment and advance deeper into the eerie forest.
Turn to 50.
136
The Death Knights tramp past your hiding place and hurry out of the chamber. Paido breathes a sigh of relief as the sound of their heavy footfalls is quickly lost in the noise of the alarm bell; but only when you are sure you are alone do you leave your hiding place and approach the triangular doors.
Turn to 230.
137
On the hill the Drakkarim are beginning to falter; they are no match for the Palace Guard, the cream of the Eruan army. As their casualties escalate their line crumbles and suddenly they turn to flee in disarray towards the town. An explosion rumbles across the field and a billowing cloud of black smoke rises from the temple. Your stomach churns and you fear the worst as smoke and debris pour from the ruins like an erupting volcano. Then, as quickly as it began, the eruption subsides and the smoke clears to reveal a triumphant Prince Graygor, clutching the Eruan flag and exhorting his troops to victory. The Palace Guard have captured the hill, and the sorcery that threatened to destroy them has been smashed. But from where you stand you can see a new threat fast approaching the Prince and his men, a threat that could kill them all.
Turn to 270.
138
With breathtaking speed you clear the rampart and reach the stunned Adamas. Rocks continue to crash down but you
ignore the danger as you drag the injured lord to safety with just one second to spare.
Turn to 301.
139
You draw on your psychic energy and launch a pulse of psi-power at his mind. He staggers backwards, his mailed fists clenched to the sides of his black helm as your attack rakes his nervous system. But he is inured to pain. His years of training in the combat pits of Blackshroud have tempered his nerves so that he can withstand agonies that would destroy an ordinary man. He regains his balance and raises his spear to strike.
If you wish to stand and fight this warrior, turn to 180.
If you choose to evade combat, turn to 316.
140
After a week of trekking across difficult terrain, the firm surface of the hill track feels as smooth as a mirror beneath your aching feet. By noon you have put ten miles behind you and have reached a bridge which crosses a sickly yellow stream flowing down from the surrounding hills. You must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
You are about to continue your journey across the bridge when you hear a rumble of hoofbeats and see a group of horsemen, shrouded in dust, riding along the road towards you.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery and have reached the rank of Principalin or higher, turn to 12.