The Darke Crusade

by Joe Dever

  Illustration I—Upon a throne of rough-hewn marble rests the remains of a warrior clad in mouldering furs.

  Prarg approaches the throne, tempted by the magnificent emerald, but he halts the moment you warn him that the helm is protected by a magical trap. You sense that a powerful spell of warding encircles the throne; to touch the crown would activate the spell, thereby unleashing a blast of destructive energy. The thought of being blown to atoms serves to dampen Prarg's curiosity and sheepishly he returns to your side. You give the booby-trapped throne a wide berth and leave the chamber by a smooth-walled tunnel in the far wall. But you have taken no more than a dozen steps when a chill of premonition runs like a trickle of icy cold water down your spine. You halt and reach for your weapon.

  Then a loud voice booms out, destroying the silence.

  ‘Welcome, Lone Wolf. Welcome to your tomb!’

  Instinctively you know that it is the voice of Warlord Magnaarn.

  Turn to 280.

  [5] This section represents the correct answer to the dragon door lock in Section 221.

  6

  Rising into view at the top of the stairs comes another Tunnel Stalker, the mate of the one you encountered earlier. Mindful of that combat, you decide to seize the initiative and attack this beast before it reaches the top of the stairs.

  Tunnel Stalker: COMBAT SKILL 38 ENDURANCE 40

  Because of the speed of your attack, and the advantage of fighting from higher ground, increase your COMBAT SKILL score by 3 points for the duration of this fight.

  If you win this combat, turn to 91.

  7

  You raise your weapon and steady yourself as the two Ciquali clamber over the gunwale. For a moment they glare at you with hideous, bulging eyes, their throat sacs swelling and collapsing rapidly as they approach the moment to strike. Then, with a shrill screech, they spring simultaneously towards your chest.

  Ciquali: COMBAT SKILL 32 ENDURANCE 28

  If you win this combat, turn to 148.

  8

  The scout places two fingers to his lips and gives a long, warbling whistle. The sound makes the mercenaries spin around and stare in your direction, and you hear one of them whistling twice in reply. Your scout then asks that you be allowed to enter their camp. There is a long pause; then a heavily-accented voice replies, ‘Show yourselves.’

  Relief that you are human, and not Drakkarim, is displayed clearly on the faces of these League-landers when the four of you stand up and walk slowly towards their camp. They offer their apologies for firing on you and one suggests that he escort you to meet their leader Baron Maquin. Politely you accept his offer.

  Turn to 294.

  9

  You focus a ball of psychic energy at the advancing creature and unleash it with unexpected results. The beast possesses phenomenal natural psychic abilities which absorb the shock of your attack, enabling it to shrug off a mental assault which would devastate many creatures twice its size.

  Turn to 297.

  10

  You search through the many cases and boxes which lie scattered around this cluttered cabin, and you discover the following which may be of use to you during your mission:

  Signet Ring

  Bow

  3 Arrows

  Sword

  2 Potions of Laumspur (each restores 4 ENDURANCE points)

  Hourglass

  Brass Key

  Dagger

  If you decide to keep any of the above, remember to make the necessary adjustments to your Action Chart.

  To continue, turn to 277.

  11

  Beyond the portal you discover a narrow flight of stone steps. Quickly you climb these stairs, spurred on by the wintry chill which grows steadily colder as you ascend. You count fifty steps before you eventually arrive at a chamber which is heaped with rubble. Its only door is blocked by debris and huge slabs of marble, making an immediate exit impossible. But it is not the door which commands your attention; it is a narrow circular shaft which is set into the middle of the ceiling. It is the source of the cold, wintry draught.

  Expectantly, you step closer and investigate this shaft. For the most part it is dark, but you can see glimmers of grey daylight high above, and you can hear the whistling of the wind. But you can also hear another sound, one that is quite unexpected. It is a buzzing, insectile noise. You focus upon the darkness and suddenly you see that the noise comes from nests of winged insects which are fixed all along the inside of the shaft.

  If you possess Grand Pathsmanship and have reached the rank of Sun Knight, turn to 240.

  If you do not possess this Discipline or have yet to reach this level of Kai rank, turn to 281.

  12

  You step away from the two dead Tukodak, sheathe your weapon and turn around to find Prarg standing by your side. He thanks you for saving him from the Tukodak's spear and then he helps you to hide the bodies of the two slain guards beneath some undergrowth in the surrounding ruins. Before you leave them, a quick search of their packs and pockets reveals the following items:

  Enough food for 1 Meal

  Dagger

  2 Swords

  Bow

  4 Arrows

  If you wish to take and keep any of the above items, remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly.

  To enter the unguarded tower, turn to 221.

  13

  As the deadly crossbow bolts scream towards you and the captain, you open your hand and thrust your palm into Prarg's back, pushing him forward. This swift action saves him from the first bolt, but it robs you of time in which to react to the second. It strikes and red-hot pain flares up your arm as the iron-tipped bolt gouges a deep furrow of flesh from the back of your wrist: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.

  The lookouts fumble with their crossbows, desperate to fire again but before they can reload you have disappeared along the beach. Shortly you reach a small secluded cove where Prarg discovers a rusty anchor. It is a landmark, left on purpose by agents of King Sarnac to point the way to the cave where they have left your boat and provisions. You find the cave and together you haul the boat down the beach and raise its coal-black sail before pushing it out into the icy waters of the Tentarias.

  Once aboard you trim the sail whilst Prarg takes charge of the rudder. There is a good wind and within minutes your tiny craft is bobbing towards the far western channel of the Hellswamp, twenty miles distant. You ask Prarg if this dark estuary has a name, and he replies, ‘Yes. The Drakkarim call it “Dakushna's Channel” after the Darklord who once commanded the city-fortress of Kagorst. They say it is a fitting dedication, for the waterway is as deadly and as treacherous as the creature after whom it is named.’

  Turn to 60.

  14

  During your trek through the forest, Prarg tells you a little about the history of this land. You learn that the whole of Nyras was once known as Northern Lencia until it was lost to the invading Drakkarim during the Darkdawn War. Many crusades and campaigns have been launched over the centuries to try to recapture this territory, but none, until now, have been successful. The Drakkarim built a fortress on the ruins of the Lencian capital, which was called Gamir, which they renamed Nagamir after their victory. But later, when the Drakkarim allied themselves to the Darklords of Helgedad, the capital was renamed Darke in their honour.

  As dusk approaches, you happen by chance upon a forest trail and immediately your tracking skills tell you that it has only recently been constructed. Hoof prints frozen beneath the snow and several sets of footprints tell you that this trail has been used by more than a dozen riders and armoured foot soldiers within the last week.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy, turn to 308.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 45.

  15

  Prarg rushes towards the dying Drakkar and, before he can sound his horn, he deals him a killing blow.

  ‘Quick, Sire,’ he says, sheathing his sword. ‘Let us away from here lest this knight is not alone.’
>
  You leap over the corpse and run down the corridor following closely on the heels of your companion. Soon you come to a junction where you are forced to choose a direction, left or right. You call upon your Kai skills and immediately you sense a strong presence of evil lurking at the end of the right-hand passage. You focus on the source of this evil and determine it is the Doomstone. You tell Prarg, and together you advance along the passage until you reach a closed door.

  If you possess Grand Huntmastery or Grand Pathsmanship, turn to 214.

  If you possess neither of these Disciplines, turn to 229.

  16

  You wait as two Drakkarim on horseback come riding past the cabin; then, as soon as the coast is clear, you leap from the ditch and sprint through a gap in the log wall. The moment you reach the cabin you press yourself flat against its rough timbers and peer cautiously through its grimy window.

  The cabin is not empty. Inside, you see a Drakkarim sergeant stretching for a bottle of wine that stands on a high shelf. He takes it down, pulls out the cork, and helps himself to a long gulp of the glistening, ruby-red liquid. Behind him you can see the edge of the table; his body is obscuring the map.

  If you wish to enter the cabin and attack the soldier while he is distracted, turn to 266.

  If you choose to remain where you are and continue your observations, turn to 124.

  17

  You fix your eyes on the speeding arrow and incant the words of the Brotherhood Spell Halt Missile. For a few seconds the shaft freezes in mid-air; then it resumes flight and passes harmlessly across the rear of the boat. You hear gasps of astonishment from the Drakkarim, and more than one utters the word ‘Ziran’ — the Giak for ‘Wizard’. As you disappear rapidly downstream, you see the renegades scrambling up the muddy bank in a desperate attempt to get away, having convinced themselves that you are a powerful sorcerer!

  Your voyage continues without further interruption until, later in the afternoon, you catch sight of a town on the horizon. You check your map and discover it to be Konozod, a fortified Drakkarim stronghold. As the river carries you closer, you magnify your vision and see that it is built upon the left bank of the Shug. A huge stone bridge spans the river, and beneath this you see that the waterway is blocked by a barrier of chained logs.

  If you wish to allow your boat to drift towards this barrier, turn to 314.

  If you wish to avoid the barrier, you can put ashore and continue on foot by turning to 231.

  18

  With brave determination you begin the laborious task of clearing away the rock and rubble which fills this stairway. You are fearful that it may take you several days to reach the next level and so it comes as a welcome surprise when, after just a few minutes' work, you see a gap appearing at the top of the mound. A gust of cold, wintry air wafts through this breach, rekindling your hopes of reaching the surface. Revived by the cold clean air, you attack the rubble with renewed vigour. But then your hopes are shaken when you hear a sinister sound; behind you, a Tunnel Stalker is climbing the stairs to the landing.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and have reached the rank of Sun Knight, turn to 256.

  If you do not possess this Discipline or have yet to reach this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 6.

  19

  Using your advanced Kai skills you conjure up a cloud of fog which completely obscures you from the sight of the approaching lookouts.

  ‘Hurry, captain!’ you whisper, as you pull Prarg to his feet. ‘We must get away before the wind destroys our screen.’

  The lookouts stumble into the fog and you hear them cursing as you make good your escape along the beach. You soon outdistance them and, a few minutes later, you happen upon a small secluded cove where Captain Prarg, to his delight, discovers a rusty anchor. At first you cannot fathom why this should please him so; then he tells you that it is a landmark, left on purpose by agents of King Sarnac to point the way to the cave where they have left your boat and provisions. You find the cave and together you haul the boat down the beach and raise its coal-black sail before pushing it out into the icy waters of the Tentarias.

  Once aboard, you trim the sail whilst Prarg takes charge of the rudder. There is a good wind and within minutes your tiny craft is bobbing towards the far western channel of the Hellswamp, twenty miles distant. You ask Prarg if this dark estuary has a name, and he replies, ‘Yes. The Drakkarim call it “Dakushna's Channel” after the Darklord who once commanded the city-fortress of Kagorst. They say it is a fitting dedication, for the waterway is as deadly and as treacherous as the being after whom it is named.’

  Turn to 60.

  20

  Towards you stalks a great albino creature as big as a bear. Two huge tusks protrude from its dripping jaws, and it yawns hungrily as slowly it draws closer and closer to you and your companion, attracted by the prospect of easy prey. The beast coughs and advances yet another step, its stubby tail twitching angrily. Prarg panics and he shouts ‘Run!’ as it fixes him with its fearsome pink eyes. Then the creature senses his fear and at once it comes bounding towards you with its great jaws agape in readiness to bite.

  Illustration II—A great bear-like creature stalks towards you, two huge tusks protruding from its dripping jaws.

  If you have a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 76.

  If you do not have a Bow or choose not to use it, turn to 217.

  21

  With bated breath you watch as the cavalry approaches. You recognize them to be Zagganozod, a unit of armoured Drakkarim cavalry of a type you once encountered many years ago, during a quest that took you to the land of Eru.

  The enemy horsemen reach the road where they draw their mounts to a halt. They exchange a few words, and then they turn their horses towards Darke and gallop away towards the battle that is raging around its walls. As soon as they are out of earshot, Schera and Maquin's men let out a collective sigh of relief.

  Turn to 234.

  22

  A barricade has been thrown across the road which leads north out of Shugkona. The Drakkarim posted here have been alerted by the sounds of chaos coming from the square, and hurriedly they are trundling an armoured wagon across a gap at the centre of the barricade to seal off the exit completely. You slap your horse's rump and gallop towards this shrinking gap, but three spear-wielding guards see you approaching, and they rush forward to challenge you with their weapons held ready to strike.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 332.

  If you possess Kai-surge and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, turn to 312.

  If you possess neither of these skills or have yet to reach the required level of Kai Grand Mastership, turn instead to 289.

  23

  Schera wakes you shortly before dawn and wearily you rise from your makeshift bed. Mindful of the journey ahead, you make a brief search of the armoury and discover a few weapons, and other items which could prove useful:

  6 Arrows

  Quiver

  Dagger

  Sword

  Spear

  If you wish to keep any of these items, remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly.

  The captain sends word to his men to find boats for the voyage downstream. The order is duly carried out and, within the hour, twenty small craft have been brought to the icy river on the west side of the stone bridge. Schera appoints ten men to each craft; then you and he step aboard the first boat, cast off, and begin a voyage that will take you towards the coastal city of Darke.

  The current is strong and the river is free of obstructions, enabling your flotilla to make swift progress downstream. Much of the river bank is lightly wooded and Schera commands everyone to remain vigilant in case there are Drakkarim among the trees, lying in ambush. You pass through the woods without incident, and shortly before noon, you see the ruined town of Odnenga in the distance. Every building has been razed to the ground and a pall of wood smoke hangs above the town, fed by fires still smouldering from
a battle that took place here several days ago. The river here is blocked by debris and you are forced to put ashore. Schera's men set to work clearing a passage, while you and the captain scout the ruins in search of information.

  A soot-blackened road, running east to west, divides this shattered town into two halves. Schera suggests that you split up and search one half each and you nod in agreement.

  If you wish to search the north side of this ruined town, turn to 2.

  If you choose to search the south side, turn to 296.

  24

  As you land your killing blow, the Mawtaw shrieks an unearthly cry and falls to the ground, shivering and twitching fitfully. Then, with unnerving abruptness, it stiffens and lies still. Prarg immediately awakens from his hypnotic trance and, to your surprise, you discover that he has no memory at all of what has happened in the last hour.

  Quickly you hurry away from the carcass of the slain Mawtaw and press on deeper into the forest. Your instinct and Pathsmanship skills lead you in a northerly direction and you cover more than five miles before the trees begin to thin out. Then you emerge from the forest to be greeted by a spectacular sight.