Grey Star the Wizard

by Ian Page

  With a desperate cry, you squeeze yourself through the gap and pull yourself free. Your leg is numb and hinders your climb, but with a superhuman effort you reach the top of the shaft. You have reached the surface at last and find yourself in a large clearing, surrounded by towering trees and dense, green foliage.

  Turn to 146.

  48

  The bridge covers a large area and the magic shield that you place over it costs you 3 WILLPOWER points. The extreme mental exertion has cost you dear. Your legs buckle under and you fall to the ground, barely conscious. Tanith and Shan pull you to your feet and half carry you into the shelter of the forest.

  Turn to 75.

  49

  You take a few deep breaths and then run towards the ravine. You hurl yourself off the edge, high into space, and sail over the yawning chasm. With limbs flailing and hands reaching out desperately for the other side, you begin to descend.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If you have the Silver Charm of Jnana the Wise, you may add 1 to this figure.

  If your WILLPOWER total is greater than 10, you may add 2 to your total.

  If your total is now 0–6, turn to 274.

  If it is 7–12, turn to 210.

  50

  Before you can approach the main harbour gate, Shadakine war chariots thunder into the harbour area. The crowd scatters in terror, but the people cannot escape the rotating blades of the chariot wheels. Horrified, you watch as the Suhnese people are ruthlessly mown down by the Shadakine.

  Suddenly one of the chariots swerves and hurtles towards you. You hear the insane laugh of the driver, and as he draws closer, you see that his eyes have no pupils.

  You have barely a few seconds in which to act before the chariot is upon you.

  If you wish to dive into the narrow street on your right, turn to 40.

  If you wish to stand and fight, turn to 155.

  51

  You look down and notice that the Kazim Stone lies in the fire. Tanith stole it from your Backpack while you slept. (Delete this Backpack Item from your Action Chart.) You gaze into the Stone and see the haggard face of Mother Magri staring back at you. ‘Now I have you, you young fool,’ she hisses.

  The glow of the fire grows more intense and bursts into renewed flame.

  Turn to 102.

  52

  You wake the following morning, drained and depressed. Your traumatic experience has caused you to lose 1 WILLPOWER point during your sleep.

  ‘We must go on,’ insists Shan, ‘to make her sacrifice worthwhile.’

  You know he is right, and wearily, you get to your feet and pull on your Backpack to continue your journey. ‘We will reach the Azagad Gorge this afternoon if we set a good pace,’ says Shan.

  As the sun reaches its zenith, you notice how hot and humid the atmosphere has become. The plains of the Wilderwastes are now barren: a dry desert of ugly rocks and boulders stretches before you. You have many more days of travelling ahead of you and your food supplies are running low. The Azan River begins to narrow as you draw nearer to Lake Shenwu, the source of the river, lying beneath the Wall of Azakawa and the Shenwu Falls. Beyond that, lies the Azanam, home of the Lost Tribe of Lara.

  Shan draws your attention to a wooden shack to the east. It is a strange sight so far from civilization.

  If you wish to investigate, turn to 152.

  If you would rather continue your journey, turn to 227.

  53

  You do not wish to arouse the fisherman's suspicions any further. For this reason, you are unable to bring about the necessary state of meditation that enables you to see into the future. Instead, you reach out with your senses in an effort to determine the fisherman's true nature. Totally unaware of your intentions, he continues to haggle over the price of the boat as you probe the invisible aura that surrounds him.

  You sense that the one-eyed man means you no harm. He is the harbour watchman, a petty con-man who prowls round the harbour, spying on the illegal actions of smugglers and shady traders whom he then forces to buy his silence. He is offering you half the true value of your boat. However, your Power of Prophecy tells you that you might be glad of some money in the near future, and this may be your only chance of gaining some. You allow the watchman to cheat you.

  The use of this Magical Power has cost you 1 WILLPOWER point.

  Turn to 16.

  54

  You head east, away from the line of the Azan River and into the ‘Dragon's Teeth’. Further from the river, the limestone pinnacles are spaced at closer intervals, and you are forced to weave a zigzagging path between them. Though the ground is free from foliage, your progress is just as difficult as before, since it proves impossible to walk in a straight line for more than twenty paces before a stony column of huge, wind-worn rock blocks your path.

  After an hour, you become lost in the dense maze of impassive rocks. The afternoon sun beats down mercilessly, as it slowly crosses the sky.

  If you have the Power of Prophecy and wish to use it, turn to 278.

  If you wish to turn left, turn to 184.

  If you wish to turn right, turn to 228.

  If you wish to continue straight ahead, turn to 238.

  55

  You wait in silence, pondering the best course of action. A detachment of five Shadakine warriors, carrying crossbows, comes marching along the road; they halt to load their weapons only a few yards in front of you. If they should use their weapons against the brave knights on the bridge, the knights will have no hope of beating them off.

  If you possess the Magical Power of Enchantment and wish to use it to aid the beleaguered knights, turn to 70.

  If you wish to attack the crossbowmen with your Wizard's Staff at long range, turn to 81.

  If you would prefer to make a surprise attack on the crossbowmen, turn to 99.

  56

  Still held above the heads of the crowd, you close your eyes and try to concentrate. The noise and confusion about you make visualization very difficult and you must lose 2 WILLPOWER points before the illusion is complete. To your horror, you see that the two Shadakine warriors have begun to hack a bloody path through the mob towards you.

  If you wish to continue with your spell of Enchantment, turn to 251.

  If you wish to break your trance and come to the aid of the defenceless crowd, turn to 84.

  57

  Instinctively Shan has thrown himself to the ground. With your Staff thrust up high into the air you tear a hole in one of the Quoku's wings; it shrieks with pain before crashing to the ground. Your attack has cost you 1 WILLPOWER point.12

  If you wish to attack the Quoku again, turn to 307.

  If you wish to escape, turn to 182.

  [12] If you do not have sufficient WILLPOWER points, you may choose to simply subtract the specified number of WILLPOWER points. This may leave you with a negative WILLPOWER score, or if it was already negative, it will make your score become even more negative. Alternatively, you may choose the method used in Section 175 of War of the Wizards for resolving this problem: For the WILLPOWER points you lack, you use ENDURANCE points at a rate of 2 ENDURANCE points for every 1 WILLPOWER point (i.e. 2 ENDURANCE points = 1 WILLPOWER point).

  58

  For three days, you head north towards the Chansi Hills. During this time you regain 3 WILLPOWER points and 6 ENDURANCE points. The dense forest provides ample cover for your journey and you manage to avoid the occasional Shadakine patrols quite easily.

  You carry no provisions but Tanith is able to feed the whole party. Demonstrating an uncanny mastery over animals, she is able to summon small birds down from the trees and rabbits from their burrows. Then, after calling the mesmerized creatures to her, she coolly wrings their necks. Considering her part done, she insists that Shan should do the cooking and a disgruntled Shan agrees.

  Coming at last to the forest's edge, where it borders on the Chansi Hills, you discover clumps of wild Laumspur growing along the river
bank. If you have the Magical Power of Alchemy, you may take some of the Laumspur and store it in your Herb Pouch. (Remember to mark this clump of Laumspur on your Action Chart.) Swallowing it will enable you to regain 4 ENDURANCE points. If you do not have the Power of Alchemy and wish to regain 4 ENDURANCE points, you must eat the Laumspur while it is fresh; you cannot take it with you.

  You find a shallow ford crossing the Suhni River and stop to stare at the solemn hills ahead. ‘We must go up into the hills to find the cave of Jnana,’ says Tanith.

  Suddenly Shan cries out, ‘The enemy is upon us; look — the Najin are coming.’ He points up at the sky.

  Looking up, you see a cloud of ape-like beasts with grey skins and black, bat-like wings that propel them towards you at great speed. ‘Do not fear,’ Tanith says rushing forward.

  ‘But Grey Star,’ says Shan, ‘these monsters are slaves of Shasarak, the Wytch-king. We are betrayed.’

  The Najin swoop towards you, flying low along the line of the hills.

  If you wish to attack the Najin, turn to 101.

  If you wish to wait for them to draw closer, turn to 126.

  59

  You are hungry and must eat a Meal now or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. Finally, you lie down and quickly fall into a deep sleep. The night passes without incident, and your refreshing rest restores to you 1 WILLPOWER point and 2 ENDURANCE points. Then, you are woken by a strange sound.

  Turn to 65.

  60

  Without stopping for breath, you head up the next flight of stairs. You can hear Shan puffing and blowing behind you.

  If you wish to take the right-hand stairway, turn to 45.

  If you wish to take the one on the left, turn to 80.

  61

  Suddenly you look up, and for the first time you notice several squat shapes perched on top of the limestone columns nearby. ‘Quoku,’ whispers Shan. ‘I thought they were a myth.’

  The Quoku stare with unblinking, bulbous eyes. Like giant toads, their mottled, green skin is covered with ridges and warts, and their pale throats expand like bubbles as they emit their sonorous croaking call.

  If you wish to try to slip past the Quoku without disturbing them, turn to 186.

  If you wish to attack the Quoku perched on the column nearest to you, turn to 111.

  If you wish to make a run for it, turn to 86.

  62

  With heavy heart you greet the dawn. The old Shianti priest lies dead upon his pallet. After a short time the young girl who brought you food appears. ‘Here — eat,’ she says, poking another bowl of rice through the bars of the dungeon door.

  ‘The old priest,’ you say, pointing to his body, ‘is dead.’

  The girl glances towards the old man. ‘I will tell Mother Magri. Perhaps she will want to steal his soul while it still lingers here,’ she says, matter-of-factly. ‘He was a silly priest. He deserved to die. But, perhaps my mistress can put him to some useful task.’

  You and Shan stare at her, stunned at the coolness of her tone and the casual way in which she dismisses the torment of a man's soul. She stares back, unconcerned; her face is a picture of childish innocence, and she seems unaware that she has said anything shocking.

  If you wish to attempt a conversation with the girl, turn to 7.

  If not, turn to 36.

  63

  ‘Fool!’ she hisses. ‘You have sealed your doom and I will not be a witness to it.’

  She turns and leaves the circular chamber as it fills with a great number of Shadakine warriors. You are hopelessly outnumbered and the exit is blocked. Without your Staff you are powerless to resist the cruel Shadakine, who mercilessly cut you down where you stand.

  Your life and your quest end here.

  64

  Your mind probes into the near future. Your Magical Power tells you that there is danger lurking in the alleyways. You must continue along the narrow street to avoid it.

  The use of this Magical Power has cost you 1 WILLPOWER point.

  Turn to 195.

  65

  You can hear a scuttling noise and the sound of a heavy object being dragged along the ground. Hurriedly you jump to your feet. By the pale light that filters through the tunnel you crawled through, you can see another tunnel leading out of the chamber. The sound is coming from there.

  You dash to the far wall, pressing your body close to the tunnel entrance. You hope to be able to surprise whoever, or whatever, is approaching. It is you, however, who is surprised. After a few seconds a huge insect, at least three feet long and tugging laboriously at the carcass of a dead reptile, clambers into the chamber. Intent on its labour it does not notice you, poised to strike.

  If you are wearing the Yabari Ointment, turn to 72.

  If not, turn to 83.

  66

  Even before you can lift your Staff, a crossbow bolt flies past your head and plunges into the neck of the Shadakine warrior, who falls with a surprised look on his brutal face. The officer and his men hoot with laughter at the plight of their own comrade.

  While the first crossbowman reloads, the other looses a bolt at you. The arrow burrows painfully into your shoulder and you lose 3 ENDURANCE points. At the expense of 1 WILLPOWER point you fire a blast at the bowman; he falls dead. The first crossbowman has now reloaded and you know that the odds on your surviving another bolt are very slim. Even if you manage to kill the crossbowman, you will have to fight the officer, and already your shoulder is beginning to stiffen. You are unlikely to be able to fight well in your present state.

  You surrender to the Shadakine, throwing yourself at their mercy: a quality they seem rather short of.

  Turn to 311.

  67

  As you charge at her, she smiles bitterly. ‘Fool,’ she says; ‘you have sealed your doom.’

  Before you can reach her, she slips through the exit. You make to follow, but the room suddenly fills with Shadakine warriors. They pour into the room in overwhelming numbers through the trap door and the exit that Tanith has used.

  The last sound you hear is the voice of Mother Magri ordering your death from within the safety of their ranks.

  You have failed. Your life and your quest end here.

  68

  The waters of Lake Shenwu give off a foul stench. The heady vapours of this strange, yellow lake are thick and cloying. Your lungs feel tight and your breathing is laboured.

  You come across the remains of a creature you do not recognize. Its bones have been stripped bare, how you cannot guess, for there is no sign of life. Your head feels heavy and your vision is blurring. You lose 1 ENDURANCE point.

  If you wish to continue your exploration of Lake Shenwu, turn to 293.

  If you would prefer to climb the slope of the shallow basin and survey the base of the Wall of Azakawa, turn to 118.

  69

  You fall asleep once more; this time you will never waken. Something dark and terrible leaps from the fire, and steals your life and soul.

  You have failed in your quest; your adventure ends here.

  70

  You focus your thoughts in meditation, weaving a web of enchantment and attempting to influence the minds of the Shadakine warriors who are fighting on the bridge. Suddenly the Shadakine officer in command turns and sees the crossbowmen. His face contorts in fury. He barks a command and ten of his warriors turn and charge towards the crossbowmen who look on in amazement. You have created the illusion that the crossbowmen are Knights of the White Mountain and, believing that the enemy are challenging their rear, the Shadakine have turned to attack this new threat. The use of this Magical Power has cost you 2 WILLPOWER points.

  With a blood-curdling cry, the Shadakine warriors hurl themselves at the line of crossbowmen who instantly loose a volley of crossbow bolts, killing five of their fellow countrymen. The crossbowmen then throw down their weapons and flee along the road with the remainder of their outraged comrades chasing at their heels.

  If you now wish to fire at the remaining Sha
dakine warriors on the bridge from the safety of your hiding place, turn to 88.

  If you wish to charge into the fray, turn to 156.

  71

  The thief lies dead at your feet. After searching the body, you find your money plus another ten Nobles, which you may keep. You may also keep the thief's Dagger. (Don't forget to mark these items on your Action Chart.)

  You leave the alley and return to the narrow street.

  Turn to 195.

  72

  The insect is unaware of your presence, and you keep very still. It continues to drag the reptile carcass across the room. Finally it disappears through the narrow entrance of the other tunnel, and you breathe a sigh of relief. You seize this opportunity and scramble up the larger of the two exits and into another sloping tunnel.

  Turn to 22.

  73

  Using the remaining contents of the vial, you burn away the lock of the door. You no longer have any Ezeran Acid and must discard the contaminated vial. (Delete Ezeran Acid from your Action Chart.)

  The lock falls away, and cautiously, you push open the door to reveal another landing. You step onto the landing and face two more stairways, one leading to the left and one to the right.

  If you have the Power of Prophecy and wish to use it, turn to 92. (Note down this section number first as you will need to return to it.)