by Joe Dever
You have covered twenty yards when a rain of boulders begins to crash down all around you. Suddenly a starburst of pain explodes in your head and the taste of blood fills your mouth. You fall heavily but you are numb to the pain, for your neck is broken and death is but seconds away.
Your life and your quest end here.
244
In the company of a dozen bodyguards and court heralds, you follow the Prince as he makes his way on foot to King Sarnac's camp. It is his usual practice to inspect his soldiers on the eve of battle, to see for himself that all is well and to raise their spirits with a few words of praise and encouragement. He is heartened to discover their morale is already high and that they are all confident that he will lead them to victory.
At length you arrive at the Lencian headquarters. A huge yellow flag, bearing the emblem of a white swan and blue dragon, flutters in the breeze above the royal tent where a unit of silver-clad knights stands stiffly to attention. A trumpet announces your arrival and the knights escort you inside to meet the King. After formal greetings have been exchanged, the grey-haired King begins to discuss the impending battle. The Prince has brought with him a detailed map of the town and, as the two leaders formulate their plans, it is used to mark the places where their regiments will assemble and attack the enemy.
Illustration XIV—On a detailed map of the town, the Prince and the King mark the places where their regiments will assemble and attack the enemy.
‘If only we knew the number of reinforcements Baron Shinzar has received,’ says the King, uneasily. ‘Then we could be sure our plans would succeed.’ The Prince nods in agreement. ‘We must send a scout to reconnoitre their defences, or hundreds of our soldiers could lose their lives needlessly in the assault.’
The King looks in your direction then returns his eyes to the Prince. ‘I have no scouts trained for such a delicate operation,’ he says, ‘but I see you have a Pathfinder. Send him. His skills would be well suited to this task.’
The Prince hesitates. He cannot reasonably refuse the King's suggestion, yet to send you into the enemy camp would endanger your life and your quest.
If you wish to volunteer to scout the enemy positions, turn to 53.
If you choose to remain silent, turn to 171.
245
A dozen webbed hands slap over the gunwales and six ghoulish, dome-shaped heads rise dripping from the river. A rasping croak issues through their bared fangs when they see you are prepared for their attack, and frantically they try to clamber into the boat before you can cut them down.
Ciquali: COMBAT SKILL 21 ENDURANCE 36
Increase your COMBAT SKILL by 2 points for the duration of the fight due to your readiness to receive the attack.
If you win, and the fight lasts four rounds or less, turn to 169.
If you win, and the fight lasts longer than four rounds, turn to 309.
246
You succeed in slowing the effects of the venom now coursing through your veins. But you have been bitten by a Yua and its bite is fatal unless treated immediately with the only known antidote — Oede herb.
If you possess some Oede herb, swallow it to neutralize the venom and turn to 205.
If you do not possess any of this rare herb, turn to 343.
247
Casting your eye across the body-strewn terrain, you soon realize that all the riderless horses are now either dead or have fled the field in panic. Left with no alternative, you scramble out of the mud and set off after the Prince on foot.
Turn to 115.
248
As soon as your light illuminates the darkness, the phantoms emit a venomous hiss and swirl away into the shadows. They are afraid of the light but their need to feed on your life-force will soon overcome this fear unless you can devise a more permanent way of keeping them at bay.
If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge, turn to 281.
If you do not possess this skill, turn to 55.
249
The corroded iron gantry creaks violently as you inch your way nearer to the ball of green flame, and, eventually, you reach a position where the Lorestones are within your grasp. But as you stare at the flickering core of energy you realize that to touch it would be fatal.
You ponder the problem for several minutes before you hit upon a solution.
Turn to 238.
250
You run without pausing through the shadowy pines until you can no longer hear the cries of your pursuers. The forest is soon swallowed by the night but, guided by your Kai senses and the occasional rays of moonlight that filter through the densely packed trees, you are able to continue your lonely trek eastwards. You stop at a stream to bathe your face in the cold water and reflect on the bitter irony of your situation: the people you had hoped would help you now pursue you as their enemy. It is a cheerless situation but you do not allow it to defeat your resolve to reach Torgar and recover the stolen Lorestones.
Gradually, what begins as a suspicion becomes a nagging certainty that you are being watched. Your senses detect an evil presence lurking in the surrounding trees and you decide to forgo rest and keep moving until dawn. Tired and hungry after your ordeal, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
Turn to 242.
251
The swarthy-faced warriors loose their arrows as they advance, but they are poorly aimed and whistle past to splash harmlessly in the river. The leading attackers seem impressed by your display of courage and they slow down. You take advantage of their hesitation and launch yourself at them, catching them wrong-footed as you land your first blows.
Zagganozod: COMBAT SKILL 24 ENDURANCE 35
Owing to the impetus of your attack, add 2 points to your COMBAT SKILL for the first round of combat.
If you win the fight, turn to 271.
252
You unsheathe the sun-sword and flames course along the blade, filling the ruins with its vivid golden light. The Prince turns to shout a warning but his adversary strikes him a cruel blow that lays open his thigh and hurls him to the ground. Although his helm hides his face, its nose-bar and chin-piece exposing little but a malicious glint in his eyes, you are sure that this is no ordinary Drakkarim warrior; the smell of evil hangs heavy around him like the stench of a rotting corpse.
Illustration XV—The Drakkarim warrior thrusts the stave of iron at your chest and a blast of white flame scorches your arm.
He snarls a vile curse and flings his sword at your head. You fend off the spinning blade with ease but the attack has served its purpose. The warrior snatches up the shimmering iron rod and it hums with a force that reveals its ancestry: it is a stave of power forged in the furnaces of Helgedad. With a mighty yell he thrusts the stave at your chest and a blast of white flame scorches your arm as you parry the attack on the hilt of the Sommerswerd. Half-blinded by the flash, you stagger back and quickly muster your strength for a desperate fight to the death.
Ziran (with Powerstave): COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 50
The Ziran is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).
If you win the combat, turn to 305.
253
The flames burn ferociously and you lose 5 ENDURANCE points before you are able to extinguish them.
If you survive your burns, turn to 318.
254
Their attack is so swift and deadly that there is no time to draw a weapon. The gruesome clack of their fangs fills your ears and white-hot pain lances through your arms and legs as the Akataz snap shut their powerful jaws: lose 6 ENDURANCE points. Desperately you kick and punch, rolling over and over through the undergrowth until you break free of their crushing bite. Weak from loss of blood, you stagger to your feet and unsheathe a weapon just in time to meet their renewed attack.
Akataz: COMBAT SKILL 27 ENDURANCE 43
These war-dogs are especially susceptible to psychic attack. If you have and wish to use the Discipline of Mindblast or Psi-surge, double all bonuses you would normally recei
ve. If you have completed the Lore-circle of Spirit, triple all bonuses.
If you win the combat, turn to 220.
255
You are able to identify many of the flowers that fill the gorge. Among them are the blue and pink blooms of the Lacaress, used throughout Magnamund as an active ingredient of sleeping potions. It is the insidious scent of these flowers that is slowly numbing your senses. Wary of the danger, you rein your horse about and hurry out of the gorge.
Turn to 98.
256
You draw your weapon and strike out at the phantoms, but your blows pass through them harmlessly. They howl with fiendish glee as they swirl around your head, whipping you with tendrils of darkness that writhe like thin black snakes from their filmy bodies. Every lash weakens your Psi-screen and you sense that if you are to survive this merciless assault you must quickly find a weapon to combat these fell creatures of the night.
If you possess a Bullwhip, turn to 168.
If you possess a Kalte Firesphere, a Torch and Tinderbox, or a Lantern, turn to 248.
If you possess none of these items, turn to 24.
257
You lie for several minutes, semi-unconscious due to the stunning impact: lose 6 ENDURANCE points. Gradually your senses return and you stagger to your feet. Every muscle in your body aches viciously, but no bones are broken, and you are filled with relief that you have not ended your days like those whose mouldering remains carpet the chasm floor.
You examine the hollows that riddle the walls and conclude that they were made by a burrowing animal of some sort. Most are too small to enter, but there is one that is large enough to explore.
If you wish to enter this bore-hole, turn to 141.
If you wish to attempt to climb the chasm wall, turn to 135.
258
Using your Magnakai skill you intensify your vision. The distant ruins grow larger and clearer and you can see a figure crouched upon the highest point of the broken temple wall: it is a warrior clad in silver mail and a gold-spiked helmet. He raises a plain rod of iron and another crackling bolt of blue-white fire leaps from its tip to strike the pikemen with lethal accuracy. Their screams of terror rend the air and the survivors fall apart in a desperate, panic-stricken flight to escape the fate that has befallen their slain comrades. Quickly you inform the Prince of what you have seen at the temple.
Turn to 42.
259
It feels good to have firm ground beneath your feet once again, even though it is no more than a crusty mud flat supporting a brace of stunted trees. Jarel ties the boat to one of the twisted trunks and settles down to sleep while you take the first watch. Your rumbling stomach reminds you that you have not eaten today: you must eat a Meal now or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
The night sounds of the swamp make you uneasy but your watch passes without event. Shortly after midnight, Jarel awakens and you are able to catch a few hours' sleep before dawn arrives and you take to the water once more.
Turn to 101.
260
Beyond the door you see a dank dungeon cell. A prisoner sits cross-legged on the cold stone floor, his head resting on his chest. The dark skin on his hands and arms is covered in tiny scars, and his plaited hair is matted with grime and dried blood. Wearily he raises his head and your pulse races as you recognize the face of Lord Paido, warrior-magician of Dessi.
Turn to 278.
261
As the Death Knight screams his last oath and falls face-first into the stinking ditch-water, you hear shouting and the sound of men in armour descending the bank from both sides of the bridge. Drawn by the sounds of your struggle, the élite Drakkarim warriors are closing in for the kill. Speed is your only ally now. With an energy born of desperation, you claw your way up the slippery bank and sprint towards the allies' encampment. The enemy see you escaping and direct a hail of arrows at your fleeing figure. Two shafts bury themselves in your back (lose 12 ENDURANCE points) and you are pitched to the ground.
If you are still alive, turn to 203.
262
Waves of psychic power wash over your mind and leave you shaking with shock. Your Psi-screen protects your nervous system but you are unable to stop the waves from penetrating deep into your memory. Lord Adamas increases the power of the mind-gem until you reveal your true identity and the nature of your quest.
Turn to 290.
263
‘Hear me, O Lord of Pain,’ cries the leader. ‘Your humble servant Roark invokes you to aid him in this hour of dread uncertainty. Come forth and conquer. Come forth and feast upon the souls of our enemies!’
As the grim words uttered by the grey-haired figure echo through the temple, your Kai senses detect a stream of invisible force rising from the marble block. Gradually the force takes the form of a mist filled with ghastly apparitions. An icy chill engulfs the temple as the mist swirls like a cyclone around the walls.
‘Come! Come, Tagazin!’ screams Roark, his voice barely audible above the howling wind. ‘From the pit of eternal pain I summon thee!’
If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Divination and have reached the rank of Mentora, turn to 298.
If you do not possess this skill or have yet to reach this level of training, turn to 116.
264
A terrible pain rips through your body: you gasp in shocked surprise and instinctively clutch your body. Blood oozes thickly between your fingers and you stare down in horror at the arrow which is protruding from your chest. Colours whirl and sounds grow faint as the pain drags you to the ground. Then, as the agony reaches an intolerable pitch, the pain suddenly disappears and you plunge into the timeless oblivion of death.
Your life and your quest end here.
265
The wind whistles past your face as you leap across the gap and land with a jolt that leaves you breathless. Desperately you cling to the rock, but your feet cannot grip the smooth surface and you slip backwards into the river.
You surface quickly but the river here is deep and strong, and you cannot resist being swept along on the current. For over three miles you ride the icy white water until you begin to feel smooth rocks speeding past beneath your feet. By kicking out against these boulders you are able to propel yourself towards the bank. Cold and exhausted, you claw your way out of the water and collapse on the rocky shore.
Your fall and the rough river ride have taken a toll on your possessions. Delete the items you have listed fourth, fifth, and sixth on the Backpack section of your Action Chart, and half the contents of your Belt Pouch.
To continue, turn to 294.
266
A figure dressed in black robes, whom you recognize as one of Roark's followers, is waving a burning torch in front of him at arm's length and shouting. Five spectral shadow-shapes wreathed in mist swirl around him, trying repeatedly to penetrate his fiery guard. Behind him stands an ancient burial mound, and lying near its dark entrance are the bodies of two soldiers clad in leather armour and three horses. A dozen of the ghost-like apparitions hover over each of the soldiers, as if they are feasting on their bodies.
If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Divination and have reached the rank of Mentora, turn to 303.
If you wish to help the black-robed man fight off his ghostly attackers, turn to 71.
If you choose to avoid this conflict, skirt around the edge of the quarry, and continue deeper into the forest, turn to 175.
267
‘That ring you're wearing and those clothes o' yours look real enough,’ he says, flicking the bird meat from his dagger, ‘but you don't look like a Pathfinder and you sure don't sound like one neither!’ Then, without warning, he draws back his blade and flings it at your throat.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 0–4, turn to 208.
If it is 5 or more, turn to 33.
268
As yo
u hurry away you happen upon a trail that gradually descends to the bank of a rushing river. Massive boulders, smoothed by the water over the centuries, rise from the foaming torrent like giant stepping stones. Across the river you see another forest, dark and forbidding. The sun is strong in a cloudless sky and the air is warm and dry, yet a grey mist hangs heavy and cold around the trees of that forest.
All along the bank on this side of the river grow clumps of bushy herbs with bright scarlet flowers.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing, turn to 276.
If you do not possess this skill, turn to 325.
269
The Vakeros is overjoyed at the prospect of being rescued from this dreadful place. He has languished here for a year since being captured by agents of the Darklords. His name is Paido, and although you tell him that you are an Eruan Pathfinder, he recognizes your accent and your strong Sommlending features.
‘You may wear Eruan cloth but you are not a native of that land,’ he says, suspecting that you have been sent to trick him.
If you wish to reveal your true identity to this man, turn to 69.