The man shows no signs of stopping. In a blur of motion, he draws two steel blades from his belt and leaps into combat:
Special abilities
Wind-dancer: Talos moves like the wind. You cannot use any potions or special abilities during this combat.
If you are defeated, you find yourself back on the hilltop, turn to 153. If you defeat Talos, his body turns to dust. All that is left is a stone rune with the mark of a crescent moon on it. If you take the Rune of Talos, make a note of it on your hero sheet. There is a sudden flash of light and you find yourself back on the hilltop. Turn to 153.
245
‘Rumours eh?’ The barman spits into his cloth, then proceeds to rub the counter with it. ‘Well, latest news I ’eard is that a giant is causing problems along the eastern pass. Cut off the only trade route to Kimsbrook. Yer can imagine some of the locals ain’t happy with that.’ He nods towards the elderly farmers seated at the bar. ‘Unless the locals can get their produce to market, not much to be made.’ He shakes his head. ‘Tough times, I think yer’ll agree.’
Will you:
Ask the barman about Avian Dale? — 53
Talk about the weather? — 42
Turn your attention back to the taproom? — 11
246
You retrace your steps through the caves and tunnels, stopping to retrieve the body of the priest’s son. Using a blanket from your pack, you carefully wrap the body and then lift it onto your shoulders. The water-logged mud squelches underfoot as you trudge back to the well shaft. After clambering into the bucket, you tug firmly on the rope several times. A moment later, it begins to rise, taking you back up the shaft towards the circle of daylight above. Turn to 2.
247
The ruffian lies dead at your feet. You reach down and cut the man’s purse from his belt. Inside you find 15 gold crowns. You many also take:
Rennie’s slicer
(left hand: dagger)
+2 speed
Ability: first cut
You may now:
Search the rest of the room — 251
Leave the farm — Return to the map
248
Your footfalls echo as you pass along the wide tunnel, the glow of the torchlight illuminating more puddles of the white acidic goo. As the tunnel begins to angle downwards, taking you deeper into the earth, you begin to make out a slimy, squelching sound coming from the darkness to your right. You swing round – your torch revealing a narrower side-tunnel heading south.
Will you:
Investigate the side passage? — 262
Continue along the main passage? — 232
249
‘My name is Fetch,’ says the man, bowing his head to you in greeting. ‘My master, a man of some influence in the affairs of Tithebury, is seeking an item of significant worth.’ He raises a pale hand and gestures towards the dark church on the hill. ‘Do you know the legend of this place? The reason the locals will no longer set foot on the hill?’ You clear your throat, intending to answer, but the man carries on regardless. ‘It’s the black book. The Grimoire of Naraghost.’ The man’s voice trembles slightly at the mention of the name. Turn to 290.
250
You have chosen the path of the rogue. You may permanently raise your health by 5 (to 35). Make a note of this change on your hero sheet.
After an hour of sparring with Avian, you are relieved when he finally lowers his sword and steps away. ‘Impressive,’ he says, nodding his head. ‘You are fast and agile. Perhaps there is something special in you after all. Come,’ he starts towards a pair of double doors at the end of the room. ‘You must be famished after your journey. I think a little banquet is in order, to welcome you to your new home.’ Turn to 172.
251
You pull the mattress away from the window, allowing fresh air and sunlight to spill into the dark, stuffy room. As the shadows recede, the true extent of your squalid surroundings are revealed. Every inch of floor space is covered in rat droppings and refuse. Rotted food and bones lie next to mouldy rags and splintered, broken furniture. How the ruffians could have lived in such conditions you have no idea. Eager to now depart, you speedily rummage through the debris for any items of interest. You may now take any/all of the following:
Traveller’s band
Traveller’s cloak
(ring)
(cloak)
+1 brawn
+1 magic
Ability: charm
Ability: charm
Return to the map to continue your journey.
252
You toss and turn in your sleep, tormented by dreams of darkness and shadow. Each one is the same – you are running from a nameless terror that hunts you across a plain of featureless black sand. You never see what it is, but you feel it, constantly at your back.
You trip and fall, your arm throbbing painfully. With trembling fingers, you pull back your sleeve to reveal the mark. It is burning as if newly branded, giving off a sulphurous smoke that forces you to turn away, choking. Then you see it – your hunter – a hooded giant with demon-like wings. Its features are indistinct, but you can see its eyes . . . a pair of bright crimson orbs that smoulder with an ancient evil.
‘You will obey me,’ booms a deep, thunderous voice.
In a flash, you find yourself awake, sitting up in bed with your eyes wide open. ‘Obey me,’ booms the voice once again. Your legs slide off the bed, your body twitching and jerking into a standing position. Like a macabre puppet, you begin to move across the room, your actions no longer your own. Furiously, you try and wake from this peculiar nightmare, but you can only watch, like a trapped prisoner inside your own body, as you are forced to descend the stairs into Avian’s castle. Turn to 224.
253
Moonlight streams through the arched, glass windows, illuminating the wooden pews that line the nave. You move slowly down the aisle, your eyes flitting from one deep shadow to the next.
You are almost at the pulpit when a gargling, guttural cry forces you to turn. Bounding along the tops of the pews is a ragged, bony creature with a hairy, wolf-like face. It springs towards you at unnatural speed, using its spindly arms and legs to propel itself forward. As the creature leaps down into the aisle-way, its sharp claws throw up sparks as they rake against the stone. With no chance of evading this fast foe, you must fight:
Special abilities
Piercing claws: The ghoul’s attacks ignore armour.
If you defeat this fearsome opponent, turn to 264.
254
The tunnel broadens out into a small cavern. You examine the rough-hewn walls but find no other side passages. In the middle of the cavern there is a bowl-shaped dip and, at its centre, a pool of dark water. Walking over, you see that the pool is in fact a flooded tunnel, heading deeper into the earth. You try to see what may be down there, but the water is murky and dark.
Will you:
Dive into the flooded tunnel shaft? — 218
Return to the first junction and go west? — 103
255
You push open the door of the cottage, to find Beatrice sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath. She is clutching at her throat with both hands, her once rosy-cheeks now a deathly shade of white.
‘Oh what have I done?’ cries Martha. ‘This is terrible. We have to help her!’
You start towards the flailing woman, but draw back when you see the body start to shake and convulse.
‘We’re too late!’ gasps Martha, backing up towards the door. ‘It’s the witch’s magic. It’ll do to her what it did to those turnips!’
All of a sudden, Beatrice Fletcher begins to expand, growing outwards like a giant balloon. Gnarly roots burst from the ends of her fingers and toes, followed by a flurry of green shoots growing out of her mouth and ears, to slowly form a tangle of leaves.
‘She’s . . . she’s turning into a . . . no, it just can’t be!’ Martha is staring at the growing monster in horror. ‘She’s becoming a turnip!’
As you continue to watch, the old woman grows bigger and bigger, her root-like legs and arms shrinking into her bulging, round body. Seconds later and there is nothing that remains of Beatrice Fletcher . . . only an enormous turnip resting on the floor of her living room.
You walk over and warily prod the turnip with your foot, fearing it might be another of those strange creatures that attacked you in Martha’s garden. But this turnip appears ordinary. Turn to 38.
256
You have chosen the path of the mage. You may permanently raise your health by 10 (to 40). Make a note of this change on your hero sheet.
After an hour of sparring with Avian, you are relieved when he finally lowers his sword and backs away. ‘Impressive,’ he says, nodding his head. ‘A practitioner of the magic arts, I see. You remind me of myself at your age. Perhaps there’s something special in you after all. Come,’ he starts towards a pair of double doors at the end of the room. ‘You must be famished after your journey. I think a little banquet is in order, to welcome you to your new home.’ Turn to 172.
257
‘There have been some changes in these parts of late,’ says the man. ‘You could say that it has created some opportunities for those with the . . . right ambitions.’ He cackles to himself – a dry, heartless sound that makes you shiver. ‘My name is Fetch. A collector, nothing more; someone fascinated in the relics of a bygone age.’ He turns and points to the church, its angular features silhouetted against the full moon. ‘There is something there that I desire. Something that I desire greatly.’ Turn to 290.
258
You slice open the maggot’s belly, moving quickly out of the way as a wave of gooey acid pours out of the squirming body. After a final, trembling spasm, the wurm lies still, its acid steaming and sizzling in the sudden silence. As you retrieve your torch, you notice several objects resting in the puddles of acid. The maggot obviously found the objects and ate them, but miraculously its acid has not harmed them . . . too much.
You may take one of the following items before the fumes of the acid force you to retreat:
Half-digested gauntlets
Acid-coated battleaxe
(gloves)
(main hand: axe)
+1 brawn +1 armour
+1 speed +1 brawn
Ability: acid
Ability: acid
You return to the main passage and continue deeper into the tunnel network. Turn to 232.
259
You have a bad hand of cards and immediately lose the round. The gambler takes all the money, chuckling to himself. ‘Another game?’ he asks eagerly. If you would like to play again turn to 54, if you decide to leave the table turn to 11.
260
The goblin chief slumps to the ground dead. On seeing their leader defeated, the other goblins, both wounded from the fight, turn and flee into the woods. Manni turns and offers you a nod of approval. ‘You handle yourself well. It was an honour to fight by your side.’
You search the goblin and find 5 gold crowns. You may also take any/all of the following rewards:
Meat cleaver
Chieftain’s furs
Rat-skin boots
(main hand: sword)
(cloak)
(feet)
+1 brawn
Ability: bleed
+1 armour
+1 speed
After the bodies have been disposed of, you both settle down to a hot meal of rabbit stew. As you are just tucking into your second helping, the crunch of approaching feet makes you both look up in surprise. It is the woodsman’s daughter. She steps into the circle of light cast by the campfire, her shawl and clothes caked in mud. Manni immediately hops to his feet, and runs over to the girl.
‘Liselle, dear Liselle. What happened to you?’
The girl starts sobbing. When at last, she can speak, she confesses to Manni about her plan to make a love potion, but her efforts to find the last ingredient proved in vain. Manni takes her aside to talk. When he finally returns to the campfire, he offers you a knowing smile.
‘She will be OK. A little heartbroken perhaps – but she will survive. A tough one, that girl.’ He reaches into his jerkin and pulls out a locket. ‘This was given to me by my sweetheart, to always remember her wherever I roam. When I am done, I will return to her. I showed it to Liselle. I think she understands now.’ He slides the locket back under his jerkin. ‘Let us sleep, and tomorrow I will return to the woodsman and explain everything that has happened.’
The next morning, when you awake, you discover that Liselle and Manni have already left for the woodsman’s hut. You help yourself to some porridge that Manni has left for you, then rejoin the trail. Return to the map to begin a new quest.
261
You wrap the hot pie in a blanket and tuck it into your backpack. Then you head back down the hill to Beatrice Fletcher’s cottage. As Martha predicted, you find a freshly-baked pie resting on one of the windowsills.
You push open the garden gate and carefully creep up to the window. After a last check to make sure no one is watching, you remove your backpack and take out Martha’s pie. Both are of similar size and colour – you doubt the old woman will notice much of a difference. Quickly, you switch the pies, placing the turnip pie on the windowsill.
Will you now:
Hide in the garden and wait? — 229
Return to Martha? — 9
262
You make your way carefully down the side passage, avoiding the puddles and dripping strands of gooey acid. You haven’t gone far, before your torch illuminates the source of the squelching sound. A giant white maggot is chewing through the dirt and earth at the end of the passageway.
The creature must have sensed you, because it suddenly shuffles round, its bloated body rippling as it moves. Although appearing blind, the giant maggot clearly knows you are there – its wide maw opening to reveal serrated teeth, dripping with acid.
You put aside your torch and prepare to defend yourself:
Special abilities
Acid: The burrower’s mouth drips with a deadly, corrosive acid. Roll a die at the start of each combat round. If you roll aor ayou automatically take 2 damage from the acid. This ability ignores armour.
If you defeat the burrower wurm, turn to 258.
263
You find yourself standing at the edge of a walled courtyard, lined with trees and flowers. Beyond the walls you can see a skyline of towers and minarets, soaring up into the dark, smoky skies. The man walks towards you, his grey robes rustling around his thin frame. You try to get a glimpse of his face, but it is hidden deep within the shadows of his gold-embroidered cowl.
‘Give me the last piece,’ he orders. It is the same deep voice that you heard in your dream.
You hold out the stone fragment without question. The man takes it and carefully slides it into a cloth bag hanging at his waist. Then he raises his hands, palms turned outwards. He makes a quick gesture – and suddenly you feel yourself being tugged backwards.
You find yourself back in the stone chamber. The archway continues to glow for several seconds, then the light flickers and is gone. You are left, standing alone, in a deep, impenetrable gloom. Turn to 299.
264
The ghoul’s broken body flies back through the air, crashing into the nearest pew. It slumps to the cold stone floor, black blood oozing from its gaping mouth. You are about to breathe a sigh of relief, when you hear more guttural cries coming from the far end of the nave. Three more ghouls are slipping and bounding across the stones towards you, racing on all fours like hungry dogs.
Frantically, you scan your surroundings, looking for some kind of advantage. Behind you is the stone pulpit, and beyond that a painted screen that divides the chancel from a small room beyond. To your left you see an archway and a set of stairs leading up into darkness, and to your right you see a stone font, carved with the figures of angels.
Will you:
Investigate the room behind the painted screen?
— 187
Make for the stairs? — 138
Run over to the stone font? — 274
265
‘Wise choice,’ grins the boy, spitting into the palm of his hand and then offering it out in friendship. ‘My name is Afty. A pleasure to make yer acquaintance.’ After exchanging a hasty handshake, you both start towards the town.
The boy takes the lead, guiding you along the rickety walkways and swaying rope-bridges that connect the buildings. ‘Bet yer wondering why this place even exists, yeah?’ says Afty, looking back at you with a smile. ‘Rubies and emeralds, big as yer hand. That’s why.’ He jerks a thumb in the direction of the marsh. ‘Prospectors came ’ere long time ago. They discovered the waters of the swamp have all kinds of goodies. There’s jewels to be sure, but there’s also gold to be found – not to mention all those smelly weeds and other shrivelled up things that grow out in the swamp. Mages pay high prices for those back in the cities.’
The boy stops abruptly, and points to a large wooden amphitheatre on the edge of the town. Lanterns hang along its walls, illuminating the queues of people waiting outside its doors. ‘That’s the pit,’ says Afty. ‘It’s what passes for good wholesome entertainment out here. Dangerous sport, the pit – but many fortunes been made in that place, if yer bet on the right fighter.’
He tugs your arm. ‘Come on, I wanna show yer the warrens.’ You follow Afty along another series of walkways, until you come to a shabbier end of town. Most of the buildings here have subsided into the marsh and many of the bridges look frayed and rotting. Nevertheless, it is still thronging with people – many of whom are eyeing the exotic wares of the street vendors, lined up along the dark, dingy lanes.
Legion of Shadow Page 14