The Darke Crusade
Page 21
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 4 or less, turn to 153.
If your total score is now 5 or more, turn to 28.
337
The guard crashes to the bottom of the trench, screaming, ‘Gaz rekenarim! Gaz rekenarim!’
The other Drakkarim are slow to react, and only one manages to snatch up his spear in his defence as you come leaping over the parapet. He thrusts it at your head and you dodge aside just in time to avoid a fatal wound, yet the tip gouges your shoulder: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
‘Sarnac and Lencia!’ cries Prarg, as side-by-side you land in the trench and strike out at its defenders. Your attack is swift and deadly. In less than five seconds, you have dispatched all four of the Drakkarim trench-troopers who occupy this position, overcoming three of them before they could even unsheathe their swords.
Keen to maintain your advantage of surprise, you quickly leave the trench and rush across the remaining strip of open ground which separates you from the town's outlying dwellings. Prarg points ahead to an alleyway that lies sandwiched between two burnt-out hovels, and immediately you follow as he hurries towards its shadowy entrance.
Turn to 178.
338
You summon forth the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and extend your right arm towards the portal. A tingling sensation runs all the way from your shoulder to the tip of your index finger, culminating in a crackling arc of electrical power that bridges the gap between your hand and the portal's lock.
The charge slams into the lock, splintering its stone surround and utterly destroying its ancient mechanism. Confidently you move forward and place your shoulder to the portal. One hard push is all that is needed to break the seal of dirt, and slowly it creaks open.
Turn to 11.
339
You conjure forth the Brotherhood Spell of Lightning Hand and, at once, your right arm is sheathed with rings of glowing, blue fire. Calmly you raise your hand, point your index finger at the leader of the Akataz pack, and with a blink of your eyes you launch a crackling pulse of energy directly at his head. The bolt arcs through the cold air and hits the war-dog squarely between the eyes, sending it tumbling backwards in a flurry of snow to disappear among the trees.
Instantly the others halt in their tracks, visibly shaken. You sense that the pack is torn now between its desire to satisfy its gnawing hunger and its natural instinct for survival. Eventually the instinct for self-preservation wins out, and one by one the dogs turn and flee for the safety of the Tozaz Forest.
Confident that the Akataz will not be back this night, you return to the boat to catch some sleep while Prarg begins his turn on guard.
Turn to 215.
340
After several minutes you notice a ledge which juts out from the chasm wall. It is located fifty feet or so directly above the place where you are currently standing. Close to this ledge you see a dark shadow. It marks the entrance to another tunnel, one that hopefully may lead all the way to the surface.
With renewed optimism, you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Levitation and at once you feel gravity losing its grasp. Assisted by this magic, you climb the rough chasm wall with ease and quickly reach the ledge above. Here you cancel the spell before hurrying into the new tunnel in search of a clear route to the surface.
Turn to 64.
341
Shocked by the death of their leader, the few remaining enemy turn tail and flee across the open plain in panic, with the stinging cheers of their foes echoing in their ears.
Then the cheering is cut short when an ominous noise comes rolling across the plain from the city of Darke. It is a thunderous boom that shakes the very ground on which you stand. You look towards the city and see that the battle is growing ever fiercer. But now there is a new and sinister aspect. Flickerings of magical fire can be seen dancing along battlements, engulfing friend and foe alike. You sense that it is the work of Magnaarn; he and his Nadziranim allies are responsible for this.
Then, through the smoke of battle, you see a Lencian flag flying proudly amidst the carnage that is taking place on the coastal plain, to the south of the city. Here, King Sarnac's crusaders have turned an enemy flank and are storming its weakened centre. Maquin and Schera see the flag and, encouraged by their own victory, they decide to march at once in support of the crusaders' brave attack.
You wish them both good fortune, for you know the time has come to part company with these brave men. Their destiny awaits them on the field of battle; yours will be found inside the city of Darke itself where, if you are to fulfil your quest, you must confront Warlord Magnaarn. You bid them farewell and watch as they lead their men in a marching column along the river road towards the field of battle. When they are a mile distant, you set off alone across the plain towards the hamlet, which lies en route to the gates of Darke.
Turn to 154.
342
There is a loud bang and a great grey cloud billows from the muzzle of the musket. It startles the horse, but you swiftly control the animal and urge it forwards, out onto the road. In the confusion you make your escape northwards, hidden from the eyes of your pursuing enemy by the acrid cloud of gunpowder smoke.
Your ears are ringing but otherwise you and Prarg escape unharmed. The mare is strong and sure-footed, and despite the snow, you quickly cover more than eight miles before you encounter something on the road ahead that brings you immediately to a standstill.
Turn to 106.
343
With weapons drawn you wait for the boat to strike the frost-covered raft of weeds. An unnatural silence has descended upon the surrounding mire, as if every creature of the Hellswamp were holding its breath in anticipation, waiting for the trap to be sprung. The bow grazes the obstruction and suddenly the silence is torn apart by a gurgling screech. Like sorcery-conjured demons, a dozen ghoulish creatures rise up from the murky depths of the swamp amid a seething froth of bubbles. Swiftly they climb from beneath the weed-raft and slink from hiding places along the bank. Within seconds they have you surrounded.
Illustration XX—A dozen ghoulish creatures rise up from the murky depths of the swamp amid a seething froth of bubbles.
‘Ciquali!’ growls Prarg, naming these ghoulish foes. He moves forward, sword raised, and lashes out at the first of these dome-headed creatures as it tries to climb aboard. His razor-sharp blade severs its forearm at the wrist, sending a scaly webbed hand spinning into the swamp, trailing green ichor. The beast screams and falls over the side, yet no sooner has it vanished beneath the surface when two more of its kin attempt to haul themselves into the boat.
If you have a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 180.
If you do not, or if you choose not to use it, turn to 7.
344
Quickly you search through the clutter of boxes which lie scattered all around this cabin, and you discover the following which may be of use to you during your mission:
2 Potions of Laumspur (each restores 4 ENDURANCE points)
Hourglass
Signet Ring
Bow
3 Arrows
Sword
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.
345
Quickly you let go of the oars and throw yourself on the floor of the boat to avoid being hit by the speeding arrow.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 4 or less, turn to 269.
If it is 5 or more, turn to 77.
346
Prarg is soon paralysed by the intense cold. He ceases all movement when his body goes into shock and rapidly he disappears beneath the water. You rush to help him, approaching as ne
ar to the edge of the hole as you dare, and then you see his face pressed to the underside of the ice, close to where you are standing. His eyes are wide open and a stream of bubbles trails from his nose and mouth. You must act quickly if you are to save him.
If you wish to jump into the gaping hole in the ice and attempt to pull him out, turn to 94.
If you decide to attempt to smash another hole in the ice close to where he is trapped, turn to 238.
347
With stoic determination you begin the laborious task of clearing away the rock and rubble which fills this stairwell. 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, something 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 if you have yet to reach this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 285.
348
The tip of your lance penetrates the Death Knight's armoured breastplate and kills him instantly. The force of the blow is such that it snaps the lance in two and nearly knocks you clean out of your saddle, but you manage to hold tight and quickly you recover. Moments later you reach the platform to see Captain Prarg struggling to break free from his gaolers. He succeeds and he comes running towards you. With a yell he leaps from the platform and lands astride the rump of your horse.
‘Go, Lone Wolf, go!’ he shouts, excitedly.
You dig your heels into the horse's flanks and take off through the confused mass of Drakkarim towards an avenue on the north side of the square. Prarg's hands are still tied behind his back and in order to stop himself from falling off the horse, he is forced to hang on to your cloak with his teeth.
You gallop out of the square and along the northern avenue which is flanked by barracks and hovels. Arrows come whistling from their windows but they are poorly aimed and fly wide of their mark. You glance over your shoulder and see that some Drakkarim horsemen are grouping up at the exit from the square in order to give chase. You urge the horse onwards, and as you speed towards a distant corner, you use your Magnakai skill of Nexus to loosen Prarg's bonds. Minutes later you turn the corner and see the road which leads out of Shugkona. Your spirits rise, but they are quickly dashed when you see that your route of escape is blocked.
Turn to 22.
349
As your slain enemies keel over backwards and splash into the mire, you roll Prarg onto his back then watch as the remaining Ciquali, now leaderless, turn away and disappear as quickly as they had come, slapping back to the cold, dark safety of their hiding places beneath the surface. Silence returns, and for a long moment you stay alert, suspecting trickery. Then slowly you relax; they have gone.
Aided by your healing skills, Prarg makes a speedy recovery from the battering he sustained in combat with the Ciquali chieftain. The boat, too, has survived the attack and you are able to continue without further delay. As soon as you pass the obstruction, you hoist the sail and catch the prevailing wind which propels you northwards along the channel beyond.
You are hungry after your encounter. Unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 322.
350
The moment you strike your killing blow, the Nyras Sceptre explodes with a brilliant flash and you are knocked down by the sudden release of energy. For several minutes you lie unconscious on the floor of this wind-swept turret, until you are found and revived by your guide and companion, Captain Prarg. Nothing remains of either Warlord Magnaarn or the Nyras Sceptre; both have been utterly destroyed. Prarg helps you to your feet, and as you look out across the battle-torn landscape, you witness a wondrous event. The Gulf of Lencia is dotted with scores of square-rigged men o' war. They are the ships of the Kasland fleet: at last Lencia's allies have arrived.
Thanks to your bravery and determination, the power which has so devastated this land is now no more. The destruction of the Nyras Sceptre heralds a turning of the tides of war in the west. The Nadziranim and their armies flee the field of battle and are pursued by the allies all the way back to their strongholds in the north. The remnants of Magnaarn's army are routed and swept out of Nyras, and after many centuries, this country finally returns to its rightful heirs.
In recognition of your victory over Warlord Magnaarn, King Sarnac of Lencia and Archduke Chalamis of Kasland hold a royal banquet in Vadera in your honour. You are heaped with praise and you receive the thanks and warm congratulations of a grateful populace.
Well done, Lone Wolf. Once again you have achieved a victory over the forces of darkness and proved yourself to be worthy of the title ‘Kai Grand Master’. Yet the fight against Evil goes ever on. On your return to your homeland you will be faced with a new and deadly challenge that will test your remarkable skills and unquestionable bravery. The nature of this challenge can be found in the next Grand Master adventure, which is entitled:
The Legacy of Vashna
Numbered Sections
1-10: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11-20: 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21-30: 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31-40: 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41-50: 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51-60: 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
61-70: 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
71-80: 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
81-90: 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90
91-100: 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
101-110: 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110
111-120: 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120
121-130: 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130
131-140: 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140
141-150: 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150
151-160: 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160
161-170: 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170
171-180: 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180
181-190: 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190
191-200: 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200
201-210: 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210
211-220: 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220
221-230: 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230
231-240: 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240
241-250: 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250
251-260: 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260
261-270: 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270
271-280: 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280
281-290: 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290
291-300: 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300
301-310: 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310
311-320: 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320
321-330: 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330
331-340: 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340
341-350: 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350
Lands & Territories of the Western Tentarias
Action Chart
Combat Rules Summary
Add your COMBAT SKILL to any extra points given to you by your Grand Master Disciplines.
Subtract the COMBAT SKILL of your enemy from this total. This number = Combat Ratio.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
Turn to the Combat Results Table.
Find your Combat Ratio on the top of the chart and cross-reference to the random number you have picked. (E indicates loss of ENDURANCE points to Enemy. LW indicates loss of ENDURANCE points to Lone Wolf.)
Continue the comba
t from Stage 3 until one character is dead. This is when the ENDURANCE points of either character falls to 0 or below.
To Evade Combat
You may only do this when the text of the adventure offers you the opportunity.
You undertake one round of combat in the usual way. All points lost by the enemy are ignored; only Lone Wolf loses the ENDURANCE points.
If the book offers the chance of taking evasive action in place of combat, it can be taken in the first round of combat or any subsequent round.
Combat Results Table
Random Number Table
Errata
Introduction
We have taken our unique opportunity to correct errors and to enforce a standard of English usage. We list our changes here. If you see anything that needs correction, please contact the Project Aon Staff.
Errata
(Blurb) Replaced ‘THE DARKE CRUSADE’ with ‘The Darke Crusade’.
(The Story So Far … ) Replaced ‘elite’ with ‘élite’. Replaced ‘feted’ with ‘fêted’. Replaced both occurrences of ‘Left-Handed’ with ‘Left-handed’. Replaced ‘Right-Handed’ with ‘Right-handed’. Replaced ‘freestate’ with ‘Freeland’. Replaced both occurrences of ‘doomstone’ with ‘Doomstone’. Replaced ‘Kai lord’ with ‘Kai Lord’. Replaced ‘monastery of the Kai’ with ‘Monastery of the Kai’. Replaced each occurrence of ‘Kai monastery’ with ‘Kai Monastery’. Replaced ‘new-found’ with ‘newfound’. Added a paragraph break after ‘their own extinction’ in line with this section in other Grand Master books. Replaced ‘north-east’ with ‘northeast’. Replaced ‘Old Kingdom Magic’ with ‘Old Kingdom magic’. Replaced ‘Akagazad and’ with ‘Akagazad, and’. Replaced ‘Banedon, then’ with ‘Banedon, and then’. Replaced ‘Kai monastery’ with ‘Kai Monastery’. Replaced each occurrence of ‘Magic’ with ‘magic’. Replaced ‘comprised’ with ‘were part of’. Replaced ‘he replied, ‘Were the’ with ‘he replied, ‘were the’. Replaced ‘my Lord’ with ‘my lord’.