by Dane Barrett
72: Their solid build, greenish skin and distinctive tusk-like teeth betray them as orc mercenaries.
72
You arrive in the peasant quarter and, considering the sorry state of disrepair many of the buildings are in, you're surprised this place has remained mostly untouched by the flames about the city. The area is abandoned, however, with several vendor items strewn across the street. You are carefully making your way along a road normally occupied by food sellers when Zabel appears by your side.
“The building with the blue roof,” she says, nodding in the general direction of your target while deftly slipping you a set of throwing knives wrapped in cloth. “They went in through the front door, left two guards behind, and never came back out. I have since spotted some soldiers patrolling the rooftops, though.”
“Thanks, Zabel,” you reply, pocketing the knives. “Do you have your bow?” She nods an affirmation. “Find a place high-up and watch my back.”
“On my way,” her voice whispers, as she melts back into the shadows. Write down the keyword EAGLE. Squeezing in between an old cart and a brick wall you peer ahead to see the two guards Zabel told you about, positioned in front of the only entrance to this building. Their solid build, greenish skin and distinctive tusk-like teeth betray them as orc mercenaries. Will you attack the guards directly (turn to 2), create a distraction so you can slip by unseen (turn to 51) or attempt to trick them into letting you in (turn to 315)?
73
You creep up to the bridge, keeping to the shadows and then hiding yourself within the long weeds that grow upon the riverbank. You pause for a few seconds, peering up at the walkway, trying to ascertain the guards' patrol patterns. Their routes are well thought out, but the orcs patrolling them look bored and uninterested; probably wishing they were in the midst of a battle instead of watching the comings and goings of the border river. One of the orcs suddenly stops and begins complaining loudly about something while upending an empty bottle over the side of the walkway. You realise they have run out of grog, and both guards stupidly abandon their post to ascend up to the main bridge to replenish their supply. You likely won't get a better opportunity than this, so you rush forward and leap up and onto the platform. You notice the path twists under the shadow of the bridge for a short distance before rounding itself back out to a parallel position alongside the main structure. It is while traversing these shadows that you run into an unexpected development; the guards have left a mangy patrol dog tethered to the walkway! As the underfed animal sniffs the air and recognises you aren't one of its masters, it begins to bark loudly. You rush forward with swords drawn and must silence this dog before it summons the guards to your location!
MANGY PATROL DOG: FIGHT 6, HEALTH 3
If you win this battle in four rounds of combat or less, turn to 102. If you win this battle in five or more rounds of combat, turn to 112.
74
Wiping your blades clean, you hesitate briefly to catch your breath before proceeding into the tunnel at the end of the courtyard. If you had any companions with you during the previously hard-fought battle, they will stay behind momentarily to hide the bodies while you scout ahead. Turn to 32.
75
You continue to observe the man as he runs his hands along the wall. As you listen carefully, you can hear him mumbling to himself.
“Not long now, my babies,” he says. “Soon, I shall find the river, and when our job be done you can hunt and dine to your heart's content. You may feast on the flesh of townsfolk in abundance, but leave me the bones! I wish to taste of their marrow...” You've heard enough, and flipping over your dagger so that you are holding its blade, you toss the weapon at the man. Daggers aren't as well-balanced as throwing knives, but with your target unaware of your presence, he makes for an easy target. The blade makes a popping crack as it embeds itself into the back of his skull, and he sinks to the ground like an oily rag. You step up to the newly-dead body and forcefully withdraw your dagger from his skull. Suddenly, his torso shudders and expands, bursting open to release what seems like hundreds of fist-sized centipedes! They climb along the floor, walls and ceiling, making their intention to surround and consume you evident. You will need to fight them!
CENTIPEDE MASS: FIGHT 5, HEALTH 6
If you win this battle, turn to 143.
76
You draw in a deep breath as the blood of your enemies seeps through the floorboards, forever tainting the soil beneath. You listen intently for the sounds of any other attackers who might be on their way, but you hear nothing. You take a knee for a moment to rest your wary muscles before locating the ladder the mercenaries came downstairs from. Heading up to the next floor, you find several empty hallways leading to rooms filled with broken merchandise and junk from the market. Just when you think this area is one big dead-end, you spy a trapdoor in the ceiling of the central corridor. Lowering it down, you clamber your way up onto the next floor. Turn to 377.
77
You snatch Zabel by her wrist, holding tightly so that she can grab your own in kind. As you struggle to hang on to the gradually-crumbling parapet, you swing her to the ledge so that she can grasp it and pull herself up. You both roll away to safety just before an even more significant portion of the wall disintegrates, right where you were lying just seconds ago. Peering down through the choking dust, you witness several Gekka shock troops making their way through the newly-opened gap in the foundations. They are quickly met by a formation of city guardsmen from a nearby street who set a shield wall to prevent their enemies' progress. As the two sides clash, you and Zabel pick yourselves up and pat the dust from each other's clothing. It is then that you hear screams emanating from the battlements to the east.
“I will stay to round up whoever is left alive among the archers,” says Zabel. “I will join you as soon as I can.” Seeing that access to the western side of the wall has now been cut off, you have little choice but to continue moving eastwards. Turn to 360.
78
You make a desperate jump for survival, narrowly avoiding another burst of fire from above. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your SENSE, turn to 118. If the dice roll is higher than your SENSE, turn to 239.
79
Wiping away rat gore from your blade, you sheath your swords before taking a good look around. A partially-consumed dead body resembling a member of the town guard lies in the centre of the room. There are also the two exits you observed upon entering; one with the iron door and the other with the broken portcullis. Otherwise, this location contains nothing more than the grime and foul odours you have become accustomed to underground. Will you leave via the doorway with the broken portcullis (turn to 391) or attempt to open the iron door on the other wall (turn to 306)?
80
From your selected drain, you summon your strength and push upwards, attempting to cause Fagen to lose his balance as he stands upon the grate. He is wise to you, however, and steps away unharmed while summoning the water below to come rushing upwards. You fly out of the drain hole, drenched by sewer water, and land heavily as your back collides with the road cobbles. Subtract 1 from your HEALTH. If you are still alive, the sorcerer attempts to stomp on you, but you narrowly manage to roll away and scurry out of the alley, running down the next street until you are sure that you are out of his sight.
“You cannot escape me!” Fagen calls out from somewhere behind you. “Hide under the ground again, or come at me from behind! I shall find you hiding around whatever corner you may choose to attack me from! You are doomed!”
Taking stock of your surroundings, you quickly look around trying to find another way to ambush the sorcerer.
Will you attempt to surprise him around an alley corner (turn to 81),
drop on top of him from a balcony (turn to 34),
ambush him from one of the windows (turn to 190)
or hide in the shadows and try to sneak up behind him as he passes by (turn to 166)?
81
F
agen seems to be expecting your attack and has readied himself with a temporary deflection ward. As you try to ambush him from the corner, you hit an invisible barrier which physically hurls you back against a brick wall. Subtract 1 from your HEALTH. If you are still alive, the sorcerer laughs at your misfortune.
“You think to come at me from the side?” he snarls. “I was not born yesterday! Whether you lunge out at me or leap from above, I will always be ready for you!” You scramble backwards out of the alley before Fagen can launch another spell at you and hurriedly run down the next street until you are sure that you are out of his sight. Taking stock of your surroundings, you quickly look around trying to find another way to ambush the sorcerer.
Will you attempt to drop on top of him from a balcony (turn to 296),
attack him from under a drain grill (turn to 90),
ambush him from one of the windows (turn to 366)
or hide in the shadows and try to sneak up behind him as he passes by (turn to 60)?
82
You climb up the side of a nearby building, showing effortless grace in your ascent, though nobody would be a witness to it. As you make the rooftop, you begin to hop across to neighbouring buildings until you reach your assigned position. You sniff to inhale the familiar tones of chimney smoke and river pong. Then you notice something else. A subtle change in the air. Glancing about, you spy another member of the Guild, visible to no one except those who know what to look for. Suddenly he stands upright; a foolish thing to do as it can form a silhouette against the moon, giving away your position. You soon join him in rising, however, when you spot what he has seen approaching on the horizon. A wall of fire. Rolling right across the city. You signal the other thief to descend into the building as quickly as possible before doing so yourself. You discover an open window two floors down and quickly duck inside the room beyond. You peer about desperately for somewhere to take cover. There is a metal box lying against one wall, a wooden wardrobe positioned in the corner and a chest with a leather finish sitting at the foot of a four-poster bed. Will you hide inside the metal box (turn to 99), the wardrobe (turn to 12) or the chest (turn to 164)?
83
The muscles in your arms pulse with the strain of pulling and twisting the rusty grate, and the set of bars finally succumbs to your strength, popping open with an echoing clang and bringing some of the surrounding stonework with it. Your body overbalances with the weight of the barrier, and you tip back onto the floor, splashing down into the water. The rocks tumble down on you, and one strikes you in the head as you raise your arms to protect yourself. Subtract 1 from your HEALTH. If you are still alive, you place the section of bars aside, lift yourself back to your feet and slip on through the newly-created entrance. Turn to 101.
84
You begin to lower yourself towards the gargoyle's head, reaching your boot out to gain traction before you lean the rest of your body across to the window. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your SENSE, turn to 70. If the dice roll is higher than your SENSE, turn to 248.
85
Tannurat staggers you with his claws before using his head to butt you into the trunk of a small tree. Though fatigue is taking its toll on your body, you nevertheless stand up as straight as you can to prove to the dragon that your heart holds no fear of him. The beast then dislodges its mighty jaw, displaying clear intentions of eating you whole. Do you have the keyword NATURE? If so, turn to 364. Otherwise, turn to 217.
86
The Filth-Demon glares at you for a moment before a sense of recognition finally dawns across its dreadful face. Its eyes widen, and it takes a step back, looking hesitant to come anywhere near the thief who has bested it in battle twice before. You advance on the demon with clear intentions to initiate the fight, but instead, your opponent pushes its way past the fearful guardsmen and hurls itself from the battlements! Time seems to stand still for a moment before one guard, an axeman named Harald, begins to laugh merrily.
“He scared the dung out of him!” he shouts to the others. “Literally!” The other troops join in the mirth, shaking you by your shoulders and messing up your hair as they celebrate you scaring the life out of a demon. Tales will be told of this moment! Add 10 to your RESISTANCE points. With the Filth-Demon now eliminated, you take a quick look around to see where you might be needed next. Down below you can see some lizard riders amassing to the west, though you also notice a volley of concentrated trebuchet fire flying over where the archers are stationed. Will you head up the stone steps to the western tower (turn to 214) or go east to check on the archers (turn to 298)?
87
As you reach the next corner, you peer around it to view another soldier walking along the tunnel ahead. He is currently moving away from you, shining his torch along the wall as if he is expecting to find something to read. Looking at the floor ahead, this won't be a straightforward approach as it is mostly water. You will need to move very slowly to close in on your target. Roll 2 dice and add 2 to the roll. If the result is equal to or lower than your AGILITY, turn to 334. If the dice roll is higher than your AGILITY, turn to 224.
88
The goblin cook looks about ready to throw something at you when another voice calls out from within the crowd.
“He's right!” shouts another of the men. “Why should we have to eat the same swill which satisfies none but the lowest of races? Us men should have pork, whereas the goblins and orcs should be satisfied with the bones when we are finished with them!” Several others chime in with their agreement. You watch as goblins and orcs form on one side of the camp, while men group together on the other, facing off with one another. As these mercenaries appear to have completely forgotten about you, you take the opportunity to slip by unmolested and move to the far end of the encampment. Turn to 29.
89
You pause to catch your breath as the bodies of the Filth-Demon and the Rat Gremlin add carrion to the garbage already littered about the floor. While the gremlin's days of tossing knives at people are over, you are fully aware that the Filth-Demon may reform at any moment, so you hurriedly start to put distance between you and its corpse. At least you have the satisfaction of knowing that you have released the Wizard's concoction upon the water supply, which you hope will be enough to disrupt the mind control plans of your enemies. While you understand that your enemies might create another batch of dust to deploy at a later date, you can't very well stay in the sewers indefinitely, so you quickly retrace your steps back to the surface. Restore 2 points of lost HEALTH as you can take a rest before undertaking your next mission. Return to 362 and choose another option, remembering to cross off any locations already visited.
90
You lift one of the drain covers, nothing more than a metal grate set into the ground, and slip down into the dark of the sewer. You carefully pull the grill back into place and wait patiently for any sign of the sorcerer walking above you. Sure enough, Fagen steps directly upon the drain cover, giving you the perfect opportunity to ambush him, assuming you have the strength to lift the lid along with his weight! Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your STRENGTH, turn to 325. If the dice roll is higher than your STRENGTH, turn to 80.
91
You begin your steady traversal of the blue-stone statues, being careful to watch out for elements of weathering and mould which may have built up over time. The climb is relatively easy until you reach the dragon statue, which is made up of a serpentine body curled upon itself, making it difficult to retain a grip. You attempt to scurry over its surface as quickly as you can. Roll 2 dice. If the result is equal to or lower than your AGILITY, turn to 259. If the dice roll is higher than your AGILITY, turn to 281.
92
Your fears are well-founded, as the broken beam has sustained too much damage already and collapses beneath your legs. You plummet from the upper bridge and land on top of one of the encampment tents below, successfully softening your fall. Several guards have spotted you now, however,
and it will be impossible for you to fight so many at once. Not seeing any other choice, you slide down the tent wall and dive over the side of the bridge, plunging into the waters below. You swim furiously, eventually making it to the city-side of the shoreline, but not before some of the carnivorous river fish have taken several bites out of you. Subtract 3 from your HEALTH. If you are still alive when you reach the riverbank, you regroup with the town guardsmen stationed nearby to report the failure of your mission. Captain Jadu thanks you for trying and tells you that he will devise a new plan to take the bridge. In the meantime, you are instructed to return to the Thieve's Guild hideout. Return to 362 and choose another option, remembering to cross off any locations already visited.