Legion of Shadow

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Legion of Shadow Page 8

by Michael J. Ward


  Suddenly, you catch something out of the corner of your eye. Turning, you see a hooded man standing by the side of the lane. You feel his eyes upon you, even though they are hidden deep within the shadows of his cowl. The hairs on the back of your neck begin to prickle. You never heard the man approach – glancing around, you cannot see any trees or undergrowth where he might have been hiding. The man walks slowly towards you, his boots making only the faintest whisper of noise.

  ‘Good evening, stranger,’ he says, in a thin velvety voice. ‘Your reputation precedes you in these parts. A brave adventurer, to be sure. I was wondering if I could make use of your . . . services.’

  If you have already completed the quest: The witch hunt turn to 210. Otherwise, turn to 249.

  112

  You push aside the stone lid – far enough to reveal the interior of the tomb. To your surprise, you find that the hollow cavity is empty, save for a thin, grey funeral shroud and a silver necklace resting on top of it. You may take:

  Clymonistra’s sorrow

  (necklace)

  +1 magic

  Ability: Clymonistra’s adornments

  You find little else of interest in the room, so you decide to leave through the archway. Turn to 1.

  113

  Which of the following crimes will you accuse the witch of:

  Giving Liselle the potion recipe? 223

  Placing a totem in the farmer’s field? — 73

  Causing drought and ruining the crops? — 177

  Giving Beatrice Fletcher the turnip potion? — 108

  114

  You provide the clothier with the bat leather and the crocodile skin (deduct these two objects from your hero sheet). Using these materials, the clothier creates the following item, which you may now take:

  Bat cape

  (cloak)

  +1 speed +1 armour

  If you do not want the item, then the clothier agrees to pay you 20 gold crowns for the garment. Once you have made your choice, turn to 68 to look at more of the clothier’s items, or turn to 46 to leave.

  115

  The book contains a history of Tithebury and the adjoining regions of Black Marsh and Mistwood. The corner of one page has been turned down. Flicking straight to it, you discover a page entry describing the stone circle. You quickly scan the text for any clues as to the purpose of the circle. You discover that it dates back over a thousand years and was built by a sect of druids to commune with ‘rune spirits’.

  Something has been written in the margin of the book. Turning the page around, you read the spidery writing. It says: ‘Dwarf runes. Much older. Possibly dark age. Hill burial ground for king.’

  Will you:

  Look through the notes? — 301

  Return your attention to the stones? — 153

  116

  You do your best, within the confines of the rubble-filled tunnel, to defend yourself against the enormous creature. At last, you manage to pierce its thick, bulbous skin. From the wound, a fountain of white acid sprays across the tunnel. It catches you, searing through your armour. (You must deduct 1 armour point from any one item you are currently wearing.)

  The creature squirms and writhes in pain, then finally lies motionless – acid pouring out of its gaping mouth. You retrieve your torch, then walk cautiously past the dead maggot, coming to a halt at the edge of the newly-burrowed hole. Your torchlight picks out the craggy sides of the pit dropping away into darkness. From somewhere far below, you can hear the roar of an underground river.

  Will you:

  Continue along the tunnel? — 254

  Risk jumping down the pit? — 47

  117

  A glowing white portal has appeared at the centre of the circle. The bird is flapping around it excitedly. ‘This is it! This is it! It’s just like the magic doorway that my master entered! Quick – get in before it closes again!’

  You take a deep breath before stepping into the bright, glowing light. Turn to 207.

  118

  By some small miracle, you are able to defeat the frenzied crocodile. You may now take any/all of the following rewards:

  Crock’s tooth

  Crocodile skin

  (left hand: dagger)

  (backpack)

  +1 brawn

  Perhaps someone can put this to good use

  As you wipe the mud and pondweed from your clothes, you become aware of the girlish giggles coming from the far shore. The woodsman’s daughter is hopping up and down, waving her arms above her head. ‘Oh that was so exciting!’ she gasps. ‘You were almost as brave as my handsome huntsman!’

  You wade back across the mire, muttering several obscenities under your breath.

  ‘Come on! Give it to me quick!’ demands the girl, holding out her hands. ‘It’s all I need for my potion!’ Angrily, you fling open your pack and hand her the findlewort. ‘Perfect!’ she smiles. ‘You’re a hero after all!’

  Suddenly, something hits you in the chest, sending you flying backwards into the swamp. Coughing and spluttering, you surface to find yourself face to face with a goblin – the same one that ran from you earlier. He holds a knife to your throat. Over the creature’s shoulder, you see the woodsman’s daughter sprinting into the forest, chased by another of the goblins.

  Before you can hope to rescue her, you must defeat your foe:

  If you defeat the goblin, turn to 143.

  119

  You push open the farmhouse door and step inside. The musty interior is little more than a squalid mess of broken furniture and rotting debris. You note a number of gleaming bones lying amongst the waste – evidently picked clean by rats, or something far worse. Across the room, a staircase leads up to the second level. To your right there is a closed door, its green paint faded and peeling.

  Will you:

  Open the door? — 130

  Head up the staircase to the second level? — 151

  120

  A wild swing connects with the bat creature, knocking it to the ground. Quickly, you step in and deliver the final, killing blow. You may now take the following item:

  Bat leather

  (backpack)

  Perhaps someone can put this to good use

  You decide to ignore the other bundles and make your way across the cave to the tunnel opening. Turn to 266.

  121

  The changeling is a more powerful foe, thanks to the black book that it now reveals in its clawed hands. As it advances towards you, the infernal creature surrounds its body with a crackling ring of black fire. ‘You will burn,’ it snarls. ‘Like all those who dare stand in my way!’

  Special abilities

  Black fire: At the end of every combat round, your hero automatically takes 2 damage from the flames that surround this demon. This ability ignores armour.

  If you defeat the changeling, turn to 133.

  122

  ‘Wha’? Ya clobbered me!’ The troll teeters back onto its heels, then falls backwards onto the rope bridge with a thunderous crash. You grab hold of the sides as the bridge’s wooden slats ripple and shudder. Several come loose, spinning off into the mist below, but thankfully the ropes tethering the bridge manage to hold.

  You search the troll’s body and find 30 gold crowns. You may also take one of the following items:

  Troll’s nose ring

  Reed-woven sandals

  Troll’s blood (2 uses)

  (head)

  (feet)

  (backpack)

  +2 brawn

  +1 speed +1 magic

  Restores 2 health at the start of every combat round for one combat

  Ability: charm

  Ability: charm

  You edge past the troll and cross to the other side of the ravine. Turn to 140.

  123

  Valadin Roth drops to his knees, his sword rattling to the ground at his side. As the mighty warrior takes his last, wheezing breath, a pale white mist slips from between his parted lips and rises up into the sparkling moonli
ght. Then the withered, undead body crumbles to dust at your feet.

  A second later and there is an angry rumbling sound, followed by a loud crack as the lid of the tomb shatters in two. You hurry over, peering into the hollow cavity that has now been revealed. There is no body or remains inside, only a plain black leather-bound book. You take it out of the tomb and open it up. Flicking through the pages, you find that it is full of strange runes and markings, but nothing that is intelligible.

  A little disappointed, you slip the black book into your backpack and then leave the tomb. Turn to 146.

  124

  The huntsman raises his axe and prepares to meet you in combat. ‘I fear I have done you some ill,’ he says. ‘Perhaps I misjudged you – as you have misjudged me.’ You must now fight the huntsman:

  If you succeed in defeating the huntsman, turn to 228.

  125

  You step over the body of the ratling and approach the remaining ruffian, who is now back peddling towards the farmhouse. ‘Yer killed the boss! Yer killed the boss!’ With a cry, he turns and races into the house, slamming the door closed behind him.

  You decide that the cowardly thief can wait. Returning to the dead ratling, you search the body. You find 5 gold crowns and may take any/all of the following items:

  Leader’s edge

  Studded leather

  (main hand: sword)

  (chest)

  +1 speed +1 brawn

  +2 armour

  Make a note of the word leader on your hero sheet.

  Will you:

  Try and enter the farmhouse? — 96

  Leave the farm? — Return to the map

  126

  Avian leads you across the courtyard, into a large hall lined with weapon racks and suits of practice armour. A number of target dummies, fashioned from straw and sackcloth, hang suspended from the criss-crossing beams.

  ‘Now is your chance to show me what you can do,’ says Avian, nodding towards the nearest target dummy. ‘If I am to train you, I need to observe your strengths and your weaknesses.’

  You eye up the target dummy, wondering exactly what it is you are supposed to do. Noting your hesitation, Avian chuckles to himself. ‘Don’t be afraid of it. It’s an equal match, don’t you think?’

  Drawing your weapons, you march towards the inanimate dummy, with the intention of beating the straw and stuffing out of it. However, as you approach, the dummy springs to life, kicking and flailing with its arms and legs. As you duck and dodge the flying limbs, you see that the dummy has come loose from its rope binding.

  Avian’s laughter fills the chamber, as the strange automaton glides towards you, seeking to pummel you with its spinning arms and legs.

  Special abilities

  Sack and straw: The target dummy is immune to lightning, piercing, immobilise, venom, thorns and corruption.

  If you defeat the target dummy, turn to 107. Otherwise, turn to 136.

  127

  It is a miracle, but you managed to defeat the ghouls. You may now take any/all of the following items:

  Grave dust ring

  Ghoul hair

  Ghoul claw

  (ring)

  (backpack)

  (left hand: dagger)

  +1 brawn

  This may come in useful one day

  +1 speed +1 brawn

  Ability: piercing

  Once you have regained your strength, you turn your attention back to the door. Perhaps the scroll of opening that Fetch gave you will deactivate the glyphs. Turn to 197.

  128

  The man stops shuffling the cards and places them down on the table.

  ‘Hmm, looking to make your fortune, eh?’ He rests his chin on his hands, offering you a crooked smile. ‘Well, if it’s treasure you seek, that graveyard would be a good place to start. Haunted good and proper it is – the locals won’t go near the place, even the priest. They say it’s cursed. Something to do with an old legend about a book, buried beneath the church.’ He chuckles to himself. ‘Could all be nonsense stories. I mean, the heat is making the locals a little, you know,’ he taps his forehead, ‘crazy.’ He picks up the cards again. ‘But still, there has to be a reason why that place is always locked up tight. Protecting themselves maybe . . . but when I sees a lock it usually means there’s something important on the other side.’ He gives you a mischievous wink. ‘Now, enough ghost stories. Fancy a game of cards?’

  Will you:

  Offer to play cards? — 54

  Turn your attention back to the taproom? — 11

  129

  ‘Home? I’m not going home!’ snaps the girl, stamping her feet. ‘I can’t go home!’ When you demand to know why, she lifts up her basket, revealing the freshly-picked mushrooms inside. ‘I’m making a potion,’ she says. ‘A love potion. The witch gave me the recipe – all I need now is some findlewort then I’ll have everything I need!’

  She stomps off across the clearing, heading towards a tangled line of trees. You hurry after her, explaining that there isn’t time for making potions. The sunlight is fading fast – it will be dark soon and the goblins could be back; not to mention her worried father waiting for her at home.

  But the girl does not appear remotely bothered by your concerns. ‘I’m not going home,’ she declares. ‘With the potion, I will get exactly what I want. The huntsman will fall in love with me and we will be together forever! Now,’ she stops abruptly, pointing a finger under your nose, ‘are you going to make yourself useful and help me find some findlewort, or what?’

  Will you:

  Agree to help the girl? — 159

  Tell her she is acting like a selfish brat? — 71

  130

  The door swings open, releasing a horrible, eye-watering stench. By a sheer effort of will, you force yourself not to flee. Instead, you hold your ground and peer into the gloomy space beyond. Part of you wishes that you hadn’t. The room is full of rats. Hundreds and hundreds of them, scuttling over tables and cupboards, riffling through rotted food and what looks like human remains. It takes only seconds for you to realise the terrible danger you are in. With a deafening rush of skittering paws, the black bodies swarm towards you:

  If you defeat the rats, turn to 161.

  131

  The runes above the door begin to glow with a pale radiance. Then there is a deep rumbling sound as the door itself begins to lower into the ground, revealing a small room beyond, lined with shelves and wooden chests. Turn to 548.

  132

  You provide the clothier with the ragged cloak and a length of spindlesilk (deduct these two objects from your hero sheet). Using these materials, the clothier creates the following item, which you may now take:

  Spindlesilk cloak

  (cloak)

  +1 magic +1 armour

  Ability: spindlesilk set

  If you do not want this item, then the clothier agrees to pay you 20 gold crowns for the garment. Once you have made your choice, turn to 68 to look at more of the clothier’s items, or turn to 46 to leave.

  133

  The changeling is dead. As its immense, smoking body slumps to the earth, a peal of thunder echoes across the skies. You look up to see grey storm clouds starting to swirl and gather overhead. It appears that the demon’s death has finally broken the spell of drought that once assailed the land.

  You may now take one of the following rewards:

  Hellfire robes

  Blackfire ring

  Demon’s heart

  (chest)

  (ring)

  (talisman)

  +1 speed +1 magic

  Ability: sear

  +1 speed

  Ability: trickster

  Ability: trickster

  As you leave the village, the first rains for many months begin to fall. Return to the map to continue your adventure.

  134

  After several metres, the passage turns sharply to the left, opening out into a small, low-ceilinged room covered in yellow mould and li
chen. A stone tomb lies at its centre, bearing the effigy of a praying knight. In the far wall an archway leads through into another green-lit passage.

  Will you:

  Attempt to push aside the lid of the tomb? — 182

  Continue onwards? — 1

  135

  As you begin counting out the coins, a sudden thought occurs to you. This troll doesn’t appear to be the most intelligent and quick-witted of foes. Perhaps you could trick it by only handing over some of the money.

  Will you:

  Give the troll 20 gold crowns? — 192

  Pay the full 40 gold crowns? — 165

  136

  The target dummy knocks you to the ground, leaving you bruised and winded. Avian snaps his fingers and the dummy freezes in mid-air. He offers out a hand and helps you up.

  ‘Well, I’ve seen better,’ he says, evidently disappointed with your performance. ‘Clearly you still lack focus. To master your powers you must concentrate on your strengths.’ Avian snaps his fingers a second time, and a sword suddenly flies out from one of the racks. He snatches it from out of the air, performing a deft series of whirling moves as he spins to face you. ‘Now, I want you to fight me – and I’ll teach you how to become a true fighter.’ Turn to 99.

 

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