The Prisoners of Time

by Joe Dever

  Illustration X—Carefully you peel away the metal sheeting to discover that the statue is no more than a tangle of mouldering bones.

  What little it once wore has long since crumbled to dust, but lying beside the rib cage you discover a rod of silver that gleams as if it were new. If you wish to take this Silver Rod, mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you carry tucked through your belt.

  To continue, turn to 334.

  178

  The greasy grey body is naked save for a loincloth of filthy animal hide, soaked with the black blood that gushed from its wound. In a taloned hand it grips the blowpipe, rudely fashioned from a Meledorian's thighbone. Odel curses this dead spawn of chaos and rises to his feet, clearly disturbed by what he has seen. He suggests that you head for Tolakos straight away.

  Turn to 185.

  179

  You race along the track and into the forest, thankful that the tangled canopy of branches offers effective protection from an attack from the air. Only when you are sure that it is safe do you stop to catch your breath and check your equipment. To your horror you discover that the creature's attack ripped open your Backpack and some of the items you were carrying have fallen out during your escape.

  Erase from your Action Chart those Backpack Items that appear third, fourth, and fifth on your list.

  To continue, turn to 138.

  180

  The sickly scent of the herbs makes you suspicious of their properties. Rather than risk eating any of the buds, you decide to leave and continue along the path towards the brow of the hill.

  Turn to 115.

  181

  You focus your concentration on the radiant power of the Lorestones and your eyes are drawn inexorably towards the ceiling. Nothing stirs in these shadowy reaches, yet you sense that the Lorestones are here. Then you notice the stair and circular portal and you realize that they must provide access to the flat roof of the Sepulchre. With your heart pounding, you race up the steps, confident of finding the two Lorestones waiting for you on the roof.

  Turn to 320.

  182

  You have taken only a few steps across the weathered plank bridge when a terrifying howl echoes from the surrounding trees. With a feeling of cold dread, you spin on your heel to see a lumbering horde of twisted shapes staggering from the shadows. They appear neither human nor animal but a hideous fusion of the two. T'uk T'ron and the driver run past you, their crystal swords held ready to strike. ‘Help us … we must save chariots or we all dead!’ he shouts over his shoulder.

  If you wish to help T'uk T'ron and his guards defend the chariots, turn to 273.

  If you decide to stay in the middle of the bridge and attempt to repair the hole, turn to 176.

  If you wish to abandon the Ookor and escape across the bridge on foot, turn to 10.

  183

  After snatching a few hours' sleep you bid Lorkon and his warriors farewell and set off into the Nahgoth Forest. Guided by the map given to you by Serocca, you follow an old timberland path that has never before felt the tread of a man. This track leads to a place where the trees are twisted and gnarled into every conceivable shape. Some look like bent old men; others have straight trunks and curly branches; yet others are coal-black and petrified like fossils.

  If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Divination, turn to 235.

  If you do not possess this skill, turn to 292.

  184

  Your fighting spirit seems to find favour with the leader. He is clearly impressed by your display of courage in the face of overwhelming odds and regards you with a new look of respect, the kind a warrior shows for an enemy he considers his equal. He sheathes his silver rod and calls one of his followers to step forward. With a nod of his head he commands him to fight you, and the golden-skinned giant obeys eagerly.

  If you have a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 72.

  If you do not, turn to 225.

  185

  There is a moment of cold fear when you first set eyes on the burial grounds of Tolakos. An eerie blue glow, cast by clumps of bacterial fungi, illuminates a mist that seeps from the tombs and crypts of this ancient necropolis. The swirling vapour is contained by a wall which encircles the graveyard, although it is broken in many places where trees have displaced the mouldering stonework. With a weapon at the ready you follow Odel towards one such gap in the wall, which is overshadowed by a great mausoleum.

  ‘This is the Vault of Sedron,’ whispers Odel, as he clambers over the rubble and crouches beside its damp grey wall. ‘Old King Kalon sleeps here.’ He removes a throwing knife from his boot and with its tip he points to the other funereal landmarks of Tolakos and identifies them one by one. ‘That's the Crypt of Juilor. Over there are the Graves of the Faithful, and there's Baylon's Tomb. The Chaos-master and his minions have kept us away from here for nearly a generation, but Lorkon is determined to wrest it from him and restore it to its past glory. Over there, near the centre, is the Grand Sepulchre. That's where the bloodline of the Ironheart clan are laid to rest.’

  You stare at this macabre building and a powerful feeling electrifies your body. The Sepulchre is an imposing sight, yet it is not the grim splendour of its design that exhilarates you. You are ablaze with the realization that somewhere here, in the Grand Sepulchre of the Ironhearts, lie the last two Lorestones of Nyxator: the objects of your quest.

  Turn to 300.

  186

  A walled city of low, pyramid-shaped dwellings lies spread along the centre of a narrow, wooded valley. Near the middle, rising high above the other buildings, stands a citadel, its colour identical to the drab grey of the sky. Admiringly you observe the intricate carvings which adorn its surface, but your enthusiasm is soon dampened when you see that the streets are teeming with the creatures you encountered at the monolith. You turn to leave but a strange compulsion draws your eyes back to the citadel: it is your Kai Sixth Sense and it is telling you that Serocca, the one who can aid you in your search for the Lorestones, resides here in this tower of stone.

  The path leads down to an open gate in the city wall where two of its ape-like inhabitants stand guard.

  If you wish to approach the city gate, turn to 215.

  If you wish to search for an unguarded entrance to the city, turn to 294.

  187

  You are in mortal combat against a huge, swarming mass of verminous horror intent on stripping your flesh to the bone!

  Illustration XI—You are in mortal combat against a huge, swarming mass of Chaos-rats intent on stripping your flesh to the bone.

  Chaos-rats: COMBAT SKILL 26 ENDURANCE 62

  These creatures are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

  You can evade combat after three rounds by running back to the Grand Sepulchre and attempting to force your way in: turn to 298.

  If you win the combat, turn to 71.

  188

  ‘This device,’ says the Beholder, pointing with pride at the huge, fiery vessel that dominates the gallery, ‘is a Dimension Door. It will enable you to pass directly into the realm of Vhozada through a rent in the fabric of the Daziarn.’ You stare in awe at the sun-like ball trapped within the vessel and try to comprehend the secret sorceries that enable such a thing to exist.

  ‘You will come to learn that the laws which govern my world are quite unlike those which shape Aon. Here, time and space can be manipulated by those with power enough to craft them to their needs,’ he says, in answer to your thoughts. He wills his servant to carry him to another globe which stands close by. There he manipulates a bank of crystals and gradually a swirling circular grey shadow forms on the glassy surface of the vessel. It shimmers and you find that you cannot fully focus your eyes on it. ‘Step forward and enter,’ commands the Beholder. ‘The door to Vhozada is open.’

  Your skin prickles and your stomach churns, but you fight to control your fear by relying solely on your Kai skills. You sense that the Beholder is speaking the truth: the grey portal does lead
to the realm of Vhozada. And so, with great trepidation, you bid him farewell and step into the void.

  Turn to 208.

  189

  Stepping out from behind a tree, you wave and shout a greeting to the three Meledorian scouts. Instinctively they dive for cover, fearing an ambush, and one looses a bolt from a crossbow-like device strapped to his arm. The bronze-tipped quarrel whistles towards your chest with unerring accuracy.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery add 1 to this number for every Magnakai Discipline you have mastered after the first three (for example if you possess a total of five Magnakai Disciplines, add 2 to the number you have picked).

  If your total is now 0–2, turn to 104.

  If it is 3–7, turn to 269.

  If it is 8 or more, turn to 342.

  190

  Blasts of psychic force shoot from the shadow creatures and hurtle towards your mind, but you sense the danger and raise a psychic defence to deflect the attack. The hostile energy buckles your thought-shield and leaves you shivering with psychic shock.

  If you have reached the rank of Scion-kai, turn to 79.

  If you have yet to reach this level of Magnakai training, turn to 336.

  191

  As the power bolt lances towards your chest, you lash out and catch it a glancing blow with your Silver Rod. There is a blinding splash of colour and a fierce pain shoots up your arm, forcing you to drop the red-hot remains of the rod and snatch your blistered hand to your mouth: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  The leader gives a low, guttural laugh and steps closer to the cairn, but he is stopped in his tracks when you leap from the rocky mound and prepare to defend yourself.

  Turn to 184.

  192

  As you step into the pool of light surrounding the collapsed tree, you hear a faint ‘tut’, as if someone nearby were spitting an insect from their mouth. Fear stabs your heart: you recognize the sound at once — it is the firing of a blow pipe!

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, add 1 to this number for every Magnakai Discipline you possess over and above the first three skills (for example if you possess six Magnakai Disciplines, add 3 to the number you have picked).

  If your total is now 0–3, turn to 65.

  If it is 4–7, turn to 146.

  If it is 8 or more, turn to 304.

  193

  The awesome creature is covered in scaly plates of horn which interlink to protect most of its body. There is only one place vulnerable to an arrow: its glowing green eyes.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table and add any missile bonuses you may have.

  If your total score is now 0–4, turn to 95.

  If it is 5–8, turn to 19.

  If it is 9 or more, turn to 241.

  194

  ‘You bring message from Lorkon Ironheart, yes? He will help us, yes? Send many warriors, yes?’ says the stumpy little creature, excitedly. You try to stall for time but your inability to answer his questions makes him suspicious. You catch the word ‘chaos’ and ‘wereling’ on the quiet undertone of twitterings that pass between the others, and notice that they are becoming increasingly agitated. Repeatedly the leader asks you for information until, in a fit of rage, he denounces you as an impostor. You have barely time enough to unsheathe a hand weapon as the Ookor rush forward and attack you with their spears.

  Ookor: COMBAT SKILL 21 ENDURANCE 45

  If you win the combat, turn to 203.

  195

  Quickly you enter and follow a corridor that sweeps away in a smooth, curving arc. A line of doors, each one painted with the symbol of a writhing serpent, marches past on either side. The doors are invariably closed and their heavy iron bolts are locked in position. You ignore them and hurry on towards a distant staircase, for it is here that you sense that the power of the last Lorestone is at its strongest.

  The staircase opens on to a balcony, which overlooks a large, circular hall. Here the floor is made of a polished, blue-black marble that gleams like the still waters of a lake. At one end stands a massive table cluttered with artefacts, scrolls, and many strange potions and powders that hint at the practice of alchemy. At the opposite end of the hall is a towering arch, its surface sculptured with all manner of creatures, many of which stir a deep loathing within you. Beneath the arch is a complete darkness: no light at all penetrates or reflects in this inky abyss, for this is the Shadow Gate of Sandai, the doorway back to your home world.

  Turn to 84.

  196

  T'uk T'ron and his driver jump down from the riding platform and run forward to examine the damage to the bridge. The other two chariots draw up on either side and the Ookor wait patiently for their leader to return.

  If you wish to follow T'uk T'ron and examine the bridge for yourself, turn to 182.

  If you choose to stay in the chariot and await his return, turn to 319.

  197

  Once again your Kai senses warn you that this tomb door is protected by a powerful spell. If you inscribe the wrong symbols, you will break the spell and release its destructive energies.

  Turn to 315.

  198

  You have removed your Backpack and are undoing the buckles when two hairy, clawed paws reach up, hook themselves into the soles of your boots, and drag you down. The sudden jolt makes you drop your pack into the river (delete your Backpack as well as its contents, including Meals, from your Action Chart. You may not acquire any Backpack Items until your Backpack has been replaced) and leaves you clinging to the beam with one hand, while trying desperately to free a weapon with the other. Your attacker — a huge, misshapen beast banded in black and brown fur — lunges repeatedly with its head as it tries to sink its fangs into your thigh.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, add 3 to the number you have picked.

  If your total is now 4 or more, turn to 128.

  If it is now 3 or less, turn to 214.

  199

  Just as the creature is poised to spring forward it hesitates. Its primeval senses detect that you are not as helpless as you seem, and a flicker of doubt passes across its cruel amber eyes. Instantly you seize the advantage and attack the beast before its appetite gets the better of its judgement.

  Khozinda: COMBAT SKILL 32 ENDURANCE 48

  Owing to the impetus of your attack you may add 3 points to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of the fight.

  If you win the combat, turn to 245.

  200

  Perched on a bough overhanging the roof is a gigantic black-winged bird. Seated on its back is a magnificent warrior dressed in scarlet silk and polished silver mail. His head is crowned by an elaborate helmet, its visor formed in the shape of a roaring dragon with jewelled eyes and fiery breath. The tangled branches prevent the bird from landing, but a rope ladder hangs from its saddle and the warrior uses it to climb down onto the roof. He leaps the last few feet and his landing disturbs the dense mist that carpets the surface, rolling it back to reveal two glowing golden spheres of crystal, each filled with fire, lying close to where he now stands. He crouches down and your stomach churns with dread as you see him reach out to grab the golden Lorestones.

  Illustration XII—With dread, you watch the scarlet warrior reach out to grab the golden Lorestones.

  If you have a Bow and wish to fire at the warrior, turn to 32.

  If you wish to draw a hand weapon and attack him to prevent him from taking the Lorestones, turn to 274.

  If you wish to command him not to touch the Lorestones, turn to 136.

  201

  You pull away from the dead Agtah in time to avoid the murderous leap of a snarling, dog-sized creature with large, bear-like paws. It hits the ground then leaps again and hangs on your arm, its clawed feet raking emptiness as it tries to rip your stomach. You strike a blow that opens a ragged gash in its neck but still
it refuses to relinquish its grip and retaliates by sinking its fangs into your wrist: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  Agtah-hound: COMBAT SKILL 20 ENDURANCE 25

  The creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge). You may not use a Shield in this combat. If the weapon you are using to defend yourself is a Broadsword, a Quarterstaff, or a Spear, reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 2 points for the duration of the fight.

  If you win and the fight lasts three rounds or less, turn to 254.

  If you win and the fight lasts longer than three rounds, turn to 37.

  202

  The Plain of Guakor stretches to the cloudy horizon like a vast sea of dust, broken only occasionally by a boulder or clump of wire-hard scrub. It is a drear panorama: a land once rich and fertile murdered by the curse of chaos. It instils in you a feeling of dread uncertainty at first, but as you trudge each weary mile, it slowly strengthens your determination to fulfil your quest. For the fate that has befallen Guakor will befall Sommerlund if you fail to find the last Lorestone and return to defeat Darklord Gnaag.