by Joe Dever
3 Arrows
2 Swords
1 Axe
1 Dagger
Rope
Tinderbox
Copper Key
Torch
If you wish to keep any of the above items, remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly.
Having hidden the bodies beneath the rubble, you turn your attention once again to the secret panel in the alcove. Your attempt to prise it open triggered the release of the explosive spell that blinded you, but now you detect that the magic has dissipated and the alcove is safe.
You examine the rune-carved wall and discover a hollow which contains a shiny black amulet engraved with the spider-and-blazing-sun emblem of Darklord Chlanzor. It feels unusually cold to the touch, as if this item has been kept packed in ice. (If you wish to keep this Black Amulet, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you carry in the pocket of your tunic.)
There are no other items secreted in the hollow and so you leave the alcove and approach the open iron door.
Turn to 290.
110
Lone Wolf bids you follow as he steps through a shattered pane of the dome and climbs out onto the platform that encircles the observatory tower. The wild, sulphurous winds rip at your cloak and tunic, forcing you to crouch down and grasp the iron platform with both hands for fear of being blown over the edge. Yet these powerful winds do not seem to affect your leader. He stands erect and immobile, as if cast in solid stone. With an unblinking gaze he stares fixedly towards the southern horizon, his eagle eyes searching out Banedon's skycraft.
Little more than twenty minutes have elapsed when Lone Wolf turns and looks down at your crouching form. Banedon approaches, he says, his silent words forming in your mind. You magnify your vision and scan the southern vista, but you are unable to discern a skyship among the roiling black clouds. Then you spot a sliver of light in the stormy sky, and your spirits rise. The Cloud-dancer is fast approaching.
Guided by the pulsating glow of the observatory's crimson beacon, and Lone Wolf's telepathic messages, Banedon is able to bring the Cloud-dancer to within 50 feet of the dome. But the fierce winds prevent him from making a landing, and so he has his crew lower the boarding cage. The moment it sets down upon the platform, you follow Lone Wolf inside and slam shut the gate. There is a jolt as the hawser tenses, and then you feel the cage swaying the moment it is hoisted off the platform. Despite the violent swaying of the cage, you feel elated when you look through the bars of the cage door and see the shattered dome of the observatory receding beneath you. Then the exhilaration of your escape from Gazad Helkona is shattered when you hear a hideous shriek rise above the roar of the wind.
Turn to 150.
111
Aided by your Magnakai Invisibility skills and the cover afforded by the encircling pillars, you attempt to make your way around this hall and exit through the archway without being seen.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 5 or less, turn to 211.
If it is 6 or more, turn to 244.
112
Reflexively you duck your head out of the path of the speeding arrow, but as you pull away, it clips your neck and draws a crimson line across the skin: lose 1 ENDURANCE point.
To continue, turn to 56.
113
You use your Kai powers of Assimilance to contort your features so that your face takes on the hard and brutal countenance of a Drakkarim warrior. Then you pull up the hood of your cloak and cover the Kai insignia that adorns its clasp. Boldly you stride towards the two bandits and they take a few uneasy steps backwards, fearing that you could be about to attack them.
‘Move that whining cur!’ you bark, cocking your thumb at their whimpering wolfhound. ‘Or I'll report you both to Xaol, you incompetent dolts!’
Your bold and convincing threat unnerves the two bandits, and they plead with you not to say anything to their master. Cringingly they apologize for their hound's behaviour and promptly they drag him away. ‘Bah! Stupid fools!’ you growl, as you watch them enter the tunnel that leads to the exterior platform. Then as soon as they disappear from view, you turn and hurry around the gallery to the staircase opposite.
A short flight of iron steps ascends to a long, low-ceilinged hall. Its plastered walls are decorated with frescoes that depict enslaved humans, bedecked with chains and heads bowed in defeat, parading in a line before a triumphant group of Drakkarim warlords. At the far end of this hall you discover three identical doors recessed into the wall.
If you possess Telegnosis, turn to 107.
If you do not, turn to 174.
114
You sprint across the narrow bridge and leap over the wide gap with ease. As your feet touch down on the opposite side, you continue your run and quickly you reach the safety of the citadel platform. Here you pause for a few moments to catch your breath and check that the coast is clear before entering the central stronghold of Gazad Helkona.
Turn to 200.
115
The trees in this section of the forest are blanketed with webs that are woven together to form a dense, impenetrable barrier. Creamy-white gossamer strands are wound tightly around the trunks, and loose threads dangle from their twisted branches to flutter in the breeze. Trapped amidst this web are scores of giant flies. They hang suspended like chrysalises, cocooned in acres of silken thread.
Cold sweat trickles down your face as you contemplate what could have constructed such a large and intricate web. Then your heart skips a beat when suddenly you detect movement within it.
If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, turn to 286.
If you do not, turn to 34.
116
As the Xaghash tumble to the ground, felled by your deadly blows, you stagger away from their bodies and wipe the foul blood that has spattered your face and tunic. The light in the chamber is brighter now, and you are able to see the outline of a second doorway in the far wall. Silently it slides open as you approach, and beyond you can see a dark tunnel. Inside the entrance to this gloomy passage you discover a niche in the wall. It contains a small crystal decanter of green fluid, festooned with cobwebs. Cautiously you pull its stopper to sniff the contents, and you are pleasantly surprised to discover that it contains a tincture of Laumspur. It is old and stale, but it still possesses some of its healing powers. (This Decanter contains the equivalent of two doses of Laumspur. Each dose will restore 4 ENDURANCE points when swallowed after combat. If you wish to keep the Decanter, it will occupy only one space in your Backpack.)
To continue, turn to 11.
117
You listen to the Drakkar's approaching footsteps as you prepare the Old Kingdom Spell Invisible Fist while remaining hidden from sight. If you can fell this assault trooper with your battle-spell, you hope that it may be enough to dissuade his comrades from pressing home their charge. You rise up from behind the parapet and utter the final word of the spell as you thrust your clenched fist at the advancing Drakkar. A ball of concussive energy streaks from your hand towards the assault trooper's chest. He sees a disturbance in the air, and instinctively he tries to block your magical attack with his shield.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 4 or lower, turn to 332.
If it is 5 or higher, turn to 63.
118
You leave the hall and lock the door behind you. The coast is still clear, so you hurry towards the stairs which ascend to the first-floor balcony.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is 0–6, turn to 91.
If it is 7 or higher, turn to 256.
119
You unsheathe your Kai Weapon and brace yourself to meet the Kraan's attack. Cawing with hungry rage, the loathsome creature swoops down and hurls itself upon you
in a desperate, vengeful attack.
Illustration IX—The loathsome Kraan swoops down in a desperate, vengeful attack.
Helkona Kraan: COMBAT SKILL 35 ENDURANCE 40
If you win this combat, turn to 157.
120
As you trudge along the rutted trail, you become aware that the night sky is beginning to brighten. Somewhere high above the perpetual blanket of cloud that engulfs this hateful territory, day is breaking. At length, the trail arrives at a junction where another broad track joins it from the west. There are no signposts to mark the way, but your Kai sense of direction steers you towards the east where a long slope ascends to a treeless ridge. When you come to the crest of this ridge and look beyond, you catch your first glimpse of the imposing walls of Gazad Helkona.
The broad-based fortress squats in a basin of rock at the centre of the petrified forest. Its coal-black walls are cracked and crumbling like some fossilized relic that is riddled with decay. Within its curtain wall, with its decrepit watchtowers and great iron gate, there are scores of minarets and needle-spires that seem to scratch malevolently at the passing clouds. You magnify your vision and you see that the emblem of Darklord Chlanzor is still emblazoned upon the rust-red surface of the fortress gate. It resembles a great black spider perched upon the surface of a blazing sun. Chlanzor may no longer be the commander of this stronghold, but the legacy of his rule remains.
You observe the fortress for several minutes and take in every detail of its foul design. The great gate is secure and well guarded, but you note two places where you may be able to effect an entry without being seen. The first is a breach to the west of the gate, where the wall has been undermined by a fissure of lava. The second is a great mound of rubble to the east of the gate, the remains of the upper storeys of a collapsed watchtower. By climbing the mound you could gain access to the fortress through an arrow slit.
If you wish to enter Gazad Helkona by way of the breached wall, turn to 48.
If you decide to attempt an entry by scaling the mound of rubble at the base of the ruined watchtower, turn to 299.
121
Calling upon your knowledge of Old Kingdom magic, you clench your right hand and shout out the words of the spell Invisible Fist. Then you jab your fist towards the speeding orb and a knot of concussive energy leaps from your knuckles to strike the deadly device. The force of its impact splits the orb asunder and ignites the explosive fluid that it contains. The Kraan and its rider are caught by the ensuing blast and consumed in a roaring ball of flame. With grim satisfaction you watch as they spiral down into an avenue that is crowded with Hammerland bandits, enticed from their barracks by the spectacle of your dramatic air escape.
Turn to 50.
122
You utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell Counterspell and direct its energy at the secret panel. Instantly there is a crackling discharge of power as your spell neutralizes the destructive force of the evil magic that protects this alcove. As soon as you detect that the panel is no longer booby-trapped, you work the blade of your Kai Weapon into the dry mortar surround and lever it open. Behind it you discover a hollow which contains a shiny black amulet, engraved with the spider and blazing-sun emblem of Darklord Chlanzor. It feels unusually cold to the touch, as if this item has been kept packed in ice. (If you wish to keep this Black Amulet, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you carry in the pocket of your tunic.)
There are no other items secreted in the hollow and so you replace the panel and leave the alcove. You are passing the iron door when you hear the sound of voices coming from somewhere on the other side. Suspicion and curiosity prompt you closer and cautiously you place your eye to the door's peephole.
Turn to 223.
123
You use your advanced healing skills to help Lone Wolf regain consciousness. He opens his eyes and a faint smile creases his gaunt features when he sees your face looming before him.
‘So I'm still alive,’ he says, with a tone of gentle surprise. ‘Naar will be disappointed.’
He raises his arm and you take hold of it and help him rise unsteadily to his feet. He surveys the devastated observatory and you sense that his agile mind is scrutinizing every detail. He reaches for his scabbard and breathes a heavy sigh of relief when his hand closes around the hilt of the Sommerswerd.
‘I trust my blade found its mark?’ he asks.
‘Aye, my lord,’ you reply. ‘Your timely action consigned Zorkaan to oblivion, and saved my life. For that I will be forever in your debt.’
‘And I in yours, Grand Master,’ he replies, earnestly. ‘I sense that I would not be drawing breath now if it were not for your bravery.’
Hurriedly you inform your leader that Guildmaster Banedon and his flying ship are presently hidden in the Shezar Hills, awaiting his telepathic signal. Silently he acknowledges your words with a nod of his blond head, and then he closes his eyes. You sense rapid bursts of powerful psychic energy surging away from Lone Wolf and, moments later, he reopens his eyes and smiles.
‘It is done,’ he says, confidently. ‘Banedon will be here shortly. Come, we must prepare for his arrival.’
To continue, turn to 110.
124
You leave your shelter and make a careful descent to the end of the gully where the bodies are half-buried in the dust. The first one that you come to is the carcass of a mountain goat, the object that the flying creatures were fighting over. You suspect that this luckless animal was taken from the foothills of the Ogshezar Mountains, near the Skarorian city of Cragmantle, for this hardy breed of ruminants are common there. When you leave the carcass and approach the crushed remains of the second body, your stomach churns when you recognize its scaly, bat-winged form. It is a Kraan, a vile breed that was spawned and used by the Darklords to provide flying mounts for their Giak and Drakkarim armies. Darklord Zagarna mustered many thousands of these beasts when he invaded Sommerlund, and it was their assault by air which resulted in the destruction of the Kai Monastery. Some of the Kraan survived the fall of Helgedad and the demise of their Darklord masters, and you think it likely that this one has come from Gazad Helkona and was out scouting for food. The third carcass is also that of a Kraan, but unlike the other, this one is equipped with a crude leather harness and collar.
If you wish to examine this Kraan carcass more closely, turn to 9.
If you decide not to examine it, you may continue by turning to 232.
125
This heavy oaken door is bound with copper strips and inset with a large copper lockplate. You twist its oval handle and discover that it is locked.
If you possess a Copper Key and wish to use it, turn to 338.
If you do not possess this Backpack Item, or if you choose not to use it, turn to 271.
126
When you look to the top of the shaft, you can see the huge domed panels of the citadel's observatory windows. Confident that an escape onto the roof can be effected by this route, you resolve to reach the top of the stairs as quickly as you can. However, you are becoming increasingly concerned for Lone Wolf's physical condition. His pulse is weak and his breathing is shallow, indicating to you that he is slipping from unconsciousness into coma. You are also anxious to revive him so that he may send a telepathic signal to Guildmaster Banedon, summoning him to your rescue. Unless this signal is transmitted soon, you fear that any attempt to reach the roof will ultimately be to no avail.
If you possess Deliverance, turn to 13.
If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 102.
127
You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Levitation and feel yourself rising up from the edge of the fiery fissure. You ascend through the billowing clouds of dust until you draw level with the top of the perimeter wall. Then you cancel the spell and leap down onto the broken battlements that lead to a gatehouse tower. Through the murky air you glimpse an arched doorway in the tower wall and you hurry towards it. This door is unlocked an
d you are able to descend to ground level by way of a spiral staircase. As you reach the foot of these stone steps, you are confronted by two Drakkarim who come striding into the tower through an open arch. With grunts of shocked surprise, the two leather-clad warriors unsheathe their swords and attempt to cut you down.
Helkona Drakkarim: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 35
If you win this combat, turn to 14.
128
Your speedy reflexes save your eyes, but your legs and torso are badly lacerated by the flying shards of glass. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If the number you have picked is even (i.e. 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8), you lose 3 ENDURANCE points. If the number chosen is odd (i.e. 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9), you lose 5 ENDURANCE points.
If you have survived your injuries, you may continue by turning to 84.
129
You run blindly through the trees in your desperation to escape this deluge of fire. All around you, the tinder-dry wood is being ignited by droplets of red-hot lava. Trees crackle and explode, spreading the fire with alarming speed, but you dare not stop as you race ahead of the raging flames.
After what seems like hours, the tremors cease and the hungry flames recede. Gasping for breath, you collapse on the floor of a shallow rocky basin that is ringed by fallen trees. You must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points (you cannot use Grand Huntmastery in this instance, for there are no flora or fauna that you can forage for in the petrified forest of Helkona).