The Kingdoms of Terror

by Joe Dever

  If you wish to stake some Gold Crowns on this deadly game, turn to 284.

  If you wish to approach the bar and talk to one of the barmaids, turn to 299.

  If you wish to sit at one of the tables, turn to 316.

  280

  You ride along a muddy path running the length of a ridge that overlooks a great stone bridge. High stone walls and a fortified gatehouse rise steeply from the river bank, and the only access to the city is across the bridge.

  You stare at the battlements of Tekaro with growing despair, for they bristle with archers and cauldrons of molten lead. The burnt-out hulks of siege towers and the bodies of dead soldiers lie strewn in heaps before the battered city gate. From where you are you can see the cathedral spire silhouetted in the glow of innumerable fires in the centre of Tekaro. If it were not for this accursed war you would be in the crypt in less than an hour.

  You see that before you the path dips steeply towards a line of tents erected behind a wall of earth and logs. They overflow with the wounded from countless assaults across the bridge.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing, you may stop and help the wounded men and turn to 42.

  If you do not have this skill, or if you choose not to use it, you can continue along the path and turn to 70.

  281

  ‘My humble thanks,’ says the frail old man as you help him to his feet. ‘I am forever in your debt.’

  Taking him by the arm, you escort him to his table where he gathers up his scattered belongings. ‘My name is Cyrilus. I am a magician,’ he says meekly, as if apologizing for some weakness or abnormality. ‘I claim no great understanding of the arcane — my talents are modest by any standard. I only dabble in simple tricks, earning my keep with amusements and sleights-of-hand to amuse the courtiers of Varetta.’

  Your eyes obviously betray you; the old man is quick to note your sudden interest in the word ‘Varetta’.

  If you wish to ask him about the Lorestone of Varetta, turn to 83.

  If you do not wish to question him, bid him goodnight and turn to 239.

  282

  You pull away and unsheathe your weapon in one swift, fluid movement. The dagger grazes your side (lose 1 ENDURANCE point), but you manage to avoid being seriously wounded. Both men sneer maliciously as they close in for the kill. You cannot evade them and must fight them both as one enemy.

  Backstabbers: COMBAT SKILL 18 ENDURANCE 25

  If you win the combat, turn to 88.

  283

  Forewarned by your power, your senses are acutely aware of the deadly missile screaming towards your chest. Suddenly, everything seems to be happening in slow motion. You strike at the bolt as it cuts through the air, deflecting it with one blow. Your opponent hurls his crossbow to the ground, and from within the closed helmet of black steel a voice cries: ‘Die, Northlander!’

  The warrior charges out of the Denka Gate with an axe held high in his mailed fist. You cannot avoid the attack and must fight him to the death.

  Armoured Assassin: COMBAT SKILL 24 ENDURANCE 26

  Due to the speed of the attack, you cannot use a Bow. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, you may add 1 point to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of the combat.

  If you win the fight, turn to 28.

  284

  A huge, fat-bellied mercenary is standing on a wooden box near the door, taking bets from the crowd of gold-hungry soldiers while his assistants are busy drumming up business in the hall for their master. One of the grimy-faced boys approaches and asks you for your stake.

  Firstly, decide how many Gold Crowns you wish to stake on the event and note this sum in the margin of your Action Chart — there is a maximum bet of 10 Gold Crowns. Next, pick a number from the Random Number Table and note this as well. Pick another number from the Random Number Table and add 3 to it.

  If the first number from the Random Number Table is higher than the second total, you win the bet. Multiply your stake money by 2 to determine how much you have won (the odds are two to one). If the second number is higher than the first, the rider has successfully skewered all the fruit without killing any of the men, and your stake money is lost.

  You may bet up to three times on this game, or quit at any stage.

  If you quit during the event, turn to 336.

  If you bet on all three rounds and have not lost all of your Gold Crowns by the end, turn to 347.

  If you lose all your Gold Crowns, turn to 76.

  285

  Ahead there is another stone staircase that leads down into the dungeons of Castle Taunor. It is pitch dark and the stench of mould and decay forces you to cover your nose and mouth as you stagger down the steps. The Yawshath follows you, its unnatural gibbering changing in pitch to a maniacal laugh, which makes you shudder with revulsion.

  You sense a passage that continues ahead and a small alcove off to your right.

  If you wish to continue straight ahead, turn to 192.

  If you wish to hide in the alcove, turn to 69.

  286

  You climb a ladder to the steering deck, drawing your legs up just in time to avoid a razor-sharp cutlass, which slices through the wooden rungs like a hot knife through lard. At the end of the gangway, one of the boat's crewmen is in combat with a pirate, but he is no match for the wiry pirate who dispatches him quickly with a knife. The pirate then catches sight of you and snatches a fresh blade from the bandolier of daggers strapped across his chest. The gangway offers no cover, and the pirate's hand is drawn back ready to throw.

  Illustration XVIII—The pirate's hand is drawn back ready to throw.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, turn to 314.

  If you do not possess this skill, turn to 142.

  287

  You leave your horse tied to a post beside the hut and approach the door. Cyrilus is announcing his arrival by rapping on the Denka Gate with his staff and shouting to his brother to open up. You chuckle at his growing impatience as he hammers at the gate; if his brother is anything like Cyrilus, he is probably fast asleep.

  Inside the hut you are greeted by the mouth-watering smell of freshly baked bread. Pyramids of loaves are stacked high in hampers and trays of pies, flans, cakes, and biscuits cover the counter. There is nobody here, but an open door reveals another room at the back of the hut.

  If you wish to call for service, turn to 43.

  If you wish to help yourself to some bread and cakes, turn to 157.

  288

  The wine smells delicious — the taxidermist must hold you in very high esteem, for wine as good as this is expensive and rare.

  If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Curing, turn to 61.

  If you do not possess this skill, drink the wine and turn to 84.

  289

  Galloping along the narrow thoroughfare through broken streets and dark alleyways, you soon outdistance any immediate threat to your safety. You halt at a small square to allow your horse to drink from a water-trough that stands beside a narrow stone arch. As she drinks her fill, you observe the to-ing and fro-ing of the townsfolk and hear the drunken songs and revelry from the wine shops bordering the square. A knot of brawling river-men tumbles out of one doorway, and they set about each other with knives and bottles, egged on by their rowdy comrades who wager fistfuls of crowns on the outcome. The fight soon gets out of hand; as it spreads, you decide it is better to leave before you are drawn into it.

  Turn to 332.

  290

  You ride into Eula at the captain's side, his banner emblazoned with a flaming battle-axe fluttering overhead. The town has been turned into a huge army encampment; its people have long since fled to the north, abandoning their homes and livestock to the gold-hungry soldiers. Men from a dozen nations rub shoulders with warriors of less-than-human origins, united by common greed. The captain turns to the south where the highway is clogged with foot soldiers. As you catch your first glimpse of Tekaro, burning beneath a pall of blac
k smoke, your heart sinks. This is where the Lorestone lies, in a city under siege from an army of ten thousand fighting men.

  As you approach a tangle of siege-works at the bank of the River Quarl, the captain points to an encampment in a field to your left where a blue flag with a gold eagle flutters in the soot-laden air.

  ‘Prince Ewevin's standard,’ he says. ‘The time has come to meet our paymaster.’

  If you wish to stay with the captain's company, turn to 204.

  If you decide the time has come for you to leave the mercenaries, turn to 280.

  291

  At first they pretend not to have noticed you, but eventually a stubbly-faced soldier deigns to answer. ‘Let the dice decide,’ he says, his face red and glowing in the light of the lantern. He raises his hand, spits on his palm, and throws the bone dice against the wall.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 177.

  If the number is 5–9, turn to 309.

  292

  Your feathered shaft cuts the air and sinks deep into the creature's shoulder. It shrieks in pain and snaps the Arrow in two with one swipe of its gigantic paw. Although you have injured the beast, it is far from dead. Sharp claws stained with blood lash back at your head, and you duck only just in time to save yourself from decapitation. Hurriedly, you prepare for combat.

  Turn to 343.

  293

  As the door creaks open, a sun-like radiance pours from the tomb and floods the crypt with golden light, its searing intensity paralysing the Dakomyd. You grasp the Lorestone and your senses reel with newfound wisdom and strength. Instinctively, you raise your weapon and strike the monster at the base of its hideous skull. It shrieks and dies instantly. (Remember to erase the Small Silver Key from your Action Chart.)

  Turn to 350.

  294

  Suddenly, you notice the skeletal badges that adorn the cloaks of these men, and a chilling memory floods into your mind. They are dressed identically to the evil priests who accompanied the renegade warlord, Barraka, at the buried temple of Maaken — they are the Acolytes of Vashna.

  After the defeat of Barraka, they fled south to escape the Sommlending army. It was a common belief in the Lastlands that the brotherhood had been destroyed and their power extinguished forever, but this encounter proves otherwise. You sense that you are in deadly danger. Should they discover your true identity, they will do their utmost to destroy you.

  Their leader repeats his demand, his voice sharp with impatience.

  If you wish to answer his question with the reply ‘believer’, turn to 108.

  If you choose to say ‘unbeliever’, turn to 67.

  295

  You spring aside just in time to avoid the crackling charge, but no sooner has it shot past you than another is sent on its way.

  If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 321.

  If you do not possess this Special Item and wish to attack the leader, turn to 257.

  If you would rather turn and flee, turn to 182.

  296

  The Arrow is on target, but it does not penetrate the thick metal plates of armour that protect the warrior's back. You watch with dismay as it glances away and disappears over the parapet of the bridge.

  Without further delay, you shoulder your Bow and mount your horse in order to pursue the kidnappers before they vanish from sight.

  Turn to 39.

  297

  The tide of battle has turned in your favour. The pirates came in search of easy plunder, but your furious resistance has broken their nerve. They flee from the decks, scrambling into the longboats to escape. The captain follows them, hewing at them with his sword. He cuts his way to the ship's rail and grabs the pirate leader by the neck. He rams the man's head against the mainmast, once, twice, three times, with a rage that splits the timber and the pirate's leather-clad skull.

  ‘Ha!’ he cries gleefully. ‘I've always said the Deldenians have no head for a fight!’

  The battle ends as swiftly as it began, with the surviving pirates melting away like phantoms into the fog. There are few casualties amongst the mercenaries, but the boat's crew have been decimated. The pirate berserkers trapped them below decks and slaughtered them — only one escaped their murderous blades.

  The captain takes command, marshalling repairs and overseeing the burial of the dead. As the bodies sink beneath the dark waters, the Kazonara emerges from the mist to the welcoming sight of Luyen.

  Turn to 19.

  298

  The Jakan is a longbow used by the coastal fishermen of Vassagonia. It is ideally suited to the hunting of barbidahn and squid that live in the shallows and reefs of Barrakeesh, but it is a very poor target bow. In addition to this handicap, the particular bow that you have chosen has a hairline fracture running along its entire length and could well break at any moment.

  When you enter the tournament, you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 2 points. Also, if at any time you should pick a 0 from the Random Number Table when using the bow, the Jakan will break. If this happens during the tournament at any stage, turn immediately to 335. Make a note of this adventive number in the margin of your Action Chart for future reference.8

  To begin the tournament, turn to 340.

  [8] The penalty for picking a 0 only applies during the second portion of the tournament.

  299

  Patiently you wait for one of the overworked tavern girls to notice you, but before you can raise your hand and attract her attention, you are suddenly aware of the sharp point of a dagger being pressed against your spine.

  ‘Your purse or your life,’ whispers the swarthy-faced mercenary who has appeared at your side. ‘Make your mind up quickly or my friend may be a little careless with his knife.’

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, turn to 114.

  If you wish to hand over all your Gold Crowns without offering any resistance to the robbers, turn to 161.

  If you have no Gold Crowns, or if you decide to refuse these men their demand and fight them, turn to 282.

  300

  As you ride west along a wide avenue of weathered red stone, you take in the early morning sights of this magnificent city. Window shutters slam open as the Varettians awake to a new day and smells of breakfast and freshly ground jala waft from shop doorways.

  At the centre of the city, you cross a square paved with crystal slabs and pass beneath an archway of polished green stone. Stately halls and public buildings give way to dust-worn shops and a park full of glistening flowers with huge leaves of red, gold, and pink. Beyond the park, a street paved with white gravel leads to a fortified tower, the tallest in the city. It is the Tower of the King and it marks the entrance to Brass Street.

  Turning into Brass Street, the sound of bubbling water and quiet chanting drifts towards you on the still air. Old men in brown robes, their heads covered by hoods, glide silently across the white gravelled path. You ride under an archway and enter the enclosed courtyard of a grand building, a hall of learning. Suddenly, a tingle runs the length of your spine as you sense you are close to your goal.

  At the door to the hall, there is a sign that indicates the location of three chambers: the observatory, the library, and the temple.

  If you wish to investigate the observatory, turn to 127.

  If you wish to investigate the library, turn to 21.

  If you wish to investigate the temple, turn to 320.

  301

  With the speed and grace of movement that marks you as a Kai Master, you load, take aim, and fire. Your Arrow pierces the lordling's forearm as his sword descends, causing the blow to splinter stone, not skull. He utters a shrill cry and spins backwards, cradling his wounded arm as he falls.

  ‘Curse you, scum!’ he shrieks. ‘I am Roark, highborn of Amory. I shall have your life for this — mark my words!’

  Trembling with pain and fury, he staggers to his feet and demands his cloak from the innkee
per before stumbling into the night with a welter of threats and curses.

  Turn to 281.

  302

  The books are catalogued under headings that cover all manner of subjects. You search for those relating to the Lorestone of Varetta or any that detail the history of the Kai or Sun Eagle's quest. You discover to your surprise that they have all been removed. Judging by the lack of dust on the empty shelves, they were taken away less than a day ago. After double-checking that you have not overlooked anything, you decide that there is little here to help you on your quest and leave the library.

  If you now wish to investigate the temple, turn to 320.

  If you decide to enter the observatory, turn to 127.

  303

  Your Arrow strikes home with deadly accuracy, penetrating the rider's armour at the base of his skull. You see him throw both arms into the air, topple from the saddle, and land with a crash of buckled metal in the middle of the bridge. There is no doubt in your mind that your enemy is dead; if the Arrow did not kill him then such a fall in heavy armour most surely did.