War of the Wizards

by Ian Page

  If you wish to fire a long-range attack at the beetle demon with your Wizard's Staff, turn to 143.

  If you wish to release your power of levitation and drop down on the creature from above, turn to 248.

  133

  You command the Shadakine warrior to ride towards you; the warrior obeys. The use of this spell has cost you 2 WILLPOWER points.

  Turn to 186.

  134

  The portal is near enough for you to be able to attempt to close it. Unfortunately, when you cast the shining power of the Moonstone onto the burning gate you will reveal yourself to the evil host that lurks in the valley below.

  If you wish to remount your Simar steed before making the attempt, turn to 139.

  If you prefer to make the attempt from your hiding place at the edge of the valley behind the ridge, turn to 153.

  135

  You are looking into a long, broad hall, dappled with pools of faint orange light. The source of the light is a series of square, slanting shafts high in the tall, vaulted ceiling. At the far end of the hall are two staircases, each leading to the first of many galleries that run along each wall. Archways line the balustraded galleries, each one leading into an ominous pool of darkness.

  Your footsteps echo loudly as you walk across the tiled floor covered with the dust of centuries. The air is musty and tainted with the faint aroma of attar. Each stone is draped with cobwebs. You move towards a dais in the centre of the hall. Mounting the steps, you see that it contains a wide, circular opening. A thick, iron bar is suspended across the opening and mounted on each end is a large handle. Attached to the handles and passing through a hole in the middle of the bar is a length of thick rope.

  ‘This must be a well!’ exclaims Tanith, excitedly.

  If you wish to turn one of the handles and draw from the well, turn to 3.

  If you wish to examine the well, turn to 48.

  136

  With a backwards jerk, you thrust the butt of your Staff into the creature's ribs. It yammers in pain and falls from the horse: it is dead before it hits the ground. Over your shoulder you see the line of demons recede into the distance. They try to pursue you but the fleet-footed stallion runs as fast as a speeding arrow and the demons soon pass from sight.

  Turn to 142.

  137

  Springing to your feet, you hurl a cascading rain of magical fire onto the head of the demonic horde below. Many fall dead and the evil mass is thrown into an uproar of startled shrieks and wails. This magical attack has cost you 2 WILLPOWER points. The scuffles of webbed and clawed feet tell you that a group of demons is rushing for the stairs that lead up to the galleries. The only way to the hall is by those stairs and you can leave the tomb only by the entrance to the hall.

  Turn to 236.

  138

  Your call for aid goes unheeded by the element of water. Either you have made a request that it does not understand or one that it cannot fulfil. Your attempt has failed.

  Turn to 275.

  139

  Sitting astride the beautiful white stallion, you trot to the edge of the valley overlooking the flaming archway of the portal and draw out the Moonstone. You focus all the power of your will onto the stone and the closing of the portal. A chorus of inhuman moans ripples across the valley. You hold the Moonstone above your head as slowly it fills with power and light. The demons draw nearer and your horse paws the ground and stamps nervously.

  Suddenly the flaming archway ignites. Its fire swirls and writhes with great intensity, spitting gouts of liquid orange flame in all directions. You have used 1 WILLPOWER point16 in your attempt to close the portal but now it seems imbued with a new force, a power strong enough to resist even the ancient might of the Moonstone of the Shianti. Your Simar steed rears up on its hind legs and you are almost thrown. The horde stops as if paralysed, cowering and gibbering pitifully. Your heart misses a beat as a huge pair of monstrous eyes appear within the flames of the portal.

  Illustration VIII—Your heart misses a beat as a huge pair of monstrous eyes appear within the flames of the portal.

  Turn to 158.

  [16] 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 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).

  140

  Night falls over the silent Plain of Lissan and the waters of the river are black and mysterious. Although relieved that your ordeal against the foul demons is over, you are apprehensive at the horrors that a night in this forsaken country might bring.

  Turn to 201.

  141

  Abruptly you turn to face the oncoming horde of malformed beasts. The leading demon, a large reptilian beast with a twisted human face, lets out a chilling scream.

  If you wish to unleash a long-range attack with your Wizard's Staff, turn to 221.

  If you wish to stand and receive the charge, turn to 160.

  142

  The sun is high in the sky: it is past noon. At last a range of hills comes into view: the Hills of Tilos. You have suffered no further attacks nor have you sighted any other demons in the last two hours. Where can they be? Samu said they numbered in the high hundreds. Why have they not sought to prevent you from reaching the Hills of Tilos, home of the portal that is the sole gateway to their world?

  If you are versed in the Higher Magick of a Visionary and wish to expend 2 WILLPOWER points using it, turn to 249.

  If you have the Magical Power of Prophecy and wish to use it at the cost of 1 WILLPOWER point, turn to 266.

  If you do not possess either of these Powers, lack sufficient WILLPOWER points to use them, or do not wish to use them, turn to 279.

  143

  You take aim and release a ball of magical fire that rains down on the hellish creature before it can strike. With an anguished wail it falls to the ground, a great smoking wound in its side. The magical attack has cost you 2 WILLPOWER points. The demons that remain cringe beneath you now. You raise your Staff and prepare to strike again but, before you can do so, the demons vanish, dematerializing in the space of a heartbeat.

  Gradually you lower yourself to the ground. Unfortunately you release the power too soon and fall to the ground in a tumble of arms and legs. Tanith giggles. You clamber to your feet with a shrug. ‘Well, it's the first time I've ever levitated,’ you say, dusting off your robe and blushing scarlet.

  Turn to 99.

  144

  The man demon falls dead and his body rolls back down the slope and into the pack of demons below. They begin to back away. Your display of power is enough to hold the fearful beasts at bay for the moment.

  Turn to 112.

  145

  You hurl a ball of white, glowing power at Shasarak.17 He flinches and falters. The voice of Agarash cackles. ‘Beware the bauble the Shianti holds,’ it cries between gulps of perverse laughter. ‘It bites! Fight on little wizards, fight on. Such sport you provide. Who could ask for more?’

  Turn to 320.

  [17] Remember to deduct 1 WILLPOWER point for using the power of the Moonstone against Shasarak.

  146

  Holding the Moonstone aloft you begin an incantation of protection that should discourage any evil creature from attacking. The Moonstone flares and is transformed into a white radiance. The use of this Magical Power has cost you 2 WILLPOWER points. You continue and make good progress as the shadows lengthen.

  Turn to 23.

  147

  You thunder across the plain at great speed, stopping only to check that the demons are still in pursuit. After an hour of this relentless pace, you estimate that you are halfway to the pass: only forty miles until you reach the cover of t
he forest. Looking up, you see a small black speck, high in the air. As it grows closer, you see that it is a large, winged serpent with broad, feathered wings. It has sharp talons and small, clutching forelimbs.

  Illustration IX—It is a large, winged serpent with broad feathered wings.

  If you wish to attack the Flying Snake at long range with your Wizard's Staff, turn to 66.

  If you wish to wait to see what the beast does, turn to 59.

  148

  You have never attempted teleportation before. Be careful not to teleport yourself into a stone wall or tree. If you do make this mistake your body will not be able to function and you will die instantly. It is safest to teleport to a place you have seen or already visited so that you can visualize it accurately in your mind. In cases like this, where you have not seen the place you are teleporting to, you must try to imagine your arrival point.

  Closing your eyes, you prepare to travel. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the silver charm of Jnana the Wise, add 1 to this number. If you possess the Magic Talisman of the Shianti, add another 1 to this number. You may also add 1 for each of the following Magical Powers that you possess: Sorcery, Prophecy, Psychomancy, Visionary, and Telergy.

  If your total is 5 or less, turn to 130.

  If your total is more than 5 turn to 55.

  149

  The winged reptile is still some way off and the rolling gait of the stallion makes aiming a little difficult. You raise your Staff and release a bolt of power at the beast.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess the Silver Charm of Jnana the Wise, add 1 to this number. If you have the Magic Talisman of the Shianti, add another 1 to this number.

  If your total is now 5 or less turn to 171.

  If you total is now 6 or more, turn to 182.

  150

  A dazzling whirl of deadly strokes from your Staff fells the grisly creature at last. All around you hear the sound of battle as the brave Masbaté challenge the malevolent fury of the demon horde. The warriors are superb fighters and the demon ranks are soon thrown into disarray. Some of the demons dematerialize by magical means. Those that do not are swiftly slain by the fierce Masbaté.

  At last the battle is over: no demons remain alive. To your amazement, the Masbaté have suffered no casualties, though they number only fifty men. Sheathing his long broadsword, one of their number walks towards you. Far off in the distance, you see that the Masbaté man who lay tethered by the lake has been released and a few of his brother warriors are helping him up the slope.

  Turn to 100.

  151

  Quickly you look around. In the crypt where you and Tanith spent the night there is an alcove within the far wall. It is large enough to hold both of you and its shadows are dark enough to keep you from sight.

  If you wish to hide in the alcove, turn to 166.

  If you wish to search for a hiding place elsewhere in the gallery, turn to 253.

  152

  A large Flying Snake hurtles towards you. You hold up your Staff and brace yourself to receive the attack. The beast's razor-sharp talons flex and unflex as it reaches out to grab you.

  Flying Snake: COMBAT SKILL 20 ENDURANCE 23

  Combat lasts for only one round as the demon speeds past. If your enemy loses more ENDURANCE points than you, ignore the ENDURANCE points you lose.

  If you are still alive, turn to 306.

  153

  Drawing out the Moonstone, you focus all the power of your will onto it and concentrate on the demon portal. A moan ripples through the ranks in the valley below, turning into a chorus of fierce, inhuman cries. Suddenly the portal erupts into an intense blaze of swirling, writhing flame. A large pair of eyes appear in the flames of the portal and a deathly voice speaks. Your Simar steed whinnies in fear, rears up, its hooves flashing in the sun and then bolts, hurtling at high speed away from you. The demon horde sweep up the side of the shallow valley in their hundreds and attack. Without your horse, you have no hope of evading them and, after a long, valiant fight in which many demons fall, you are dragged to the ground and slain.

  Your quest ends here.

  154

  With a fierce battle-cry, you rush forward and, at the cost of 1 WILLPOWER point, you deal a death-blow to the nearest demon, a hairless, ape-like creature with a tough red hide. An uproar of shrieks and wails breaks out among the ranks of the beasts, and they rush away from you in fear. Some vanish into thin air, giving a hint of their dark, magical natures.

  Turn to 107.

  155

  Swiftly you twist away from your attackers and vault into the saddle in one fluid movement. The stallion springs into action and the gap soon widens between you and the demon horde.

  Turn to 147.

  156

  You and Tanith climb over the debris of shattered rock and enter the ziggurat. Anxiously you peer through the dust that is still settling around you and into the shadows beyond.

  Turn to 135.

  157

  At the cost of 1 WILLPOWER point you create a glow of light from your Staff. To your left you see a huge number of Shadakine swordsmen locked in combat with a smaller group of Guildsmen. The Shadakine are relentlessly forcing the Guildsmen back into the forest. Suddenly a hail of Shadakine arrows arcs towards you falling just short of where you stand.

  If you wish to extinguish your light, turn to 344.

  If not, turn to 357.

  158

  You peer into the wild fire at the slanted, inhuman eyes. They are closed; their penumbral grey lids a vague, tinted outline. Slowly, lazily, as if awakening from a deep sleep, they open revealing two great pools of impenetrable darkness; vast, eddying whorls of eternal shadow. The eyes beckon with a hypnotic stare, a cloaked welcome to hell's darkest and most desolate chamber.

  ‘Who dares?’ demands a slithering, deathly voice. ‘Who dares to knock upon the door to the Pit of Eternal Pain?’

  You stagger back as a blast of colossal psychic power, a will of great violence and malice makes your head reel and your thoughts tumble. A burning beam of thought is thrust painfully into your mind, searching, probing, searing.

  ‘Who? … Who? … ’ hisses the disembodied voice. The desolate eyes are tinged with red. Savage laughter rings in your ears. ‘Can this be?’ the voice crows, scornfully. ‘Oh! but this is the sweetest, the richest, of ironies. It is the Shianti slave, is it not? Upon the errand of fools, treading the path of the foolish? And that worthless bauble of theirs, you have found it? Yes, I see that you have.’

  As the voice mocks, its power over you lessens. You know that you must resist now before you are enslaved forever.

  If you have 2 WILLPOWER points and wish to use them to resist the mastery of the being in the portal, turn to 167.

  If you do not have 2 WILLPOWER points, or do not wish to use them, turn to 176.

  159

  Walking up to the huge doors, you lay your hands upon them and probe them with your mind. You have a vision of two brawny men pulling a thick rope attached to a metal weight in a chamber on the right of the archway. This must be how the door was opened. The use of this Magical Power has cost you 1 WILLPOWER point.

  If you have the Magical Power of Sorcery and wish to use it to trigger the mechanism, turn to 83.

  If you have learnt the Higher Magick of Thaumaturgy and wish to use it, turn to 122.

  If you do not have either of these Powers, or if you do not wish to use them, turn to 115.

  160

  With Tanith at your side, you stand and wait for the demon charge. It is a brave but foolish decision. The demons number almost a hundred and you cannot hope to stand against them. After a valiant defence, in which many demons are slain, you fall.

  Your life and your quest end here.

  161

  Owing to the speed at which you are galloping and the creature is diving, you will have enough time for only one round of combat. If you have recently drunk a Potion of Invulnerabili
ty or have the protection of invulnerability through the previous casting of the Higher Magick of Thaumaturgy, ignore all ENDURANCE points lost by yourself for the duration of the combat.

  Winged Demon: COMBAT SKILL 20 ENDURANCE 31

  If you kill the creature in one round of combat, turn to 178.

  If you and the winged demon are still alive after one round of combat, turn to 184.

  162

  At the cost of 1 WILLPOWER point, your Power of Prophecy reveals that you are standing in the middle of intense evil. Danger is close at hand. You tell Tanith what you have learned. She nods as if this confirms what she already feared.

  ‘We stand upon the Lissan Plain,’ she says gloomily. ‘Once a beautiful country, now inhabited by demons in the service of Shasarak.’ With a shudder, you gaze upon your new surroundings.

  Turn to 239.

  163

  With a wild flurry of blows you triumph at last, only to be confronted with many more slavering beasts thirsting for your blood. The entire horde throws itself against you. You seem doomed to fail when Tanith's cry alerts you to a movement beyond the ridge overlooking the basin.