Legion of Shadow

by Michael J. Ward

  When you finally dare to open your eyes again, you gasp in fear and disbelief at what you see. A gargantuan monster towers above you, its black eyes gleaming beneath a jutting, forehead of stone. Your instincts are screaming at you to run, but snagged by weeds and buffeted by churning swamp water, you realise that your chances of escaping are slim. Resigned to your fate, you draw your weapons and valiantly prepare to defend yourself against this colossal foe. Turn to 486.

  305

  Quest: The withered glade

  You make your way through the deep undergrowth of Mistwood, clambering over the thick roots and logs that litter the forest floor. Above you, giant trees, gnarled and withered with age, stretch their branches across the sky – blotting out the sunlight and plunging your surroundings into a perpetual, murky twilight.

  As you head further westwards, you find yourself wading into a green-tinged fog. The air has become thick and stifling, carrying with it the odour of rot and decay. Within moments, you have lost all trace of the path that you were following. Instead, the ground underfoot has become wet and boggy, sucking at your feet as you struggle onwards through the swirling mist.

  Soon, you are wandering out into a wide open clearing, the bleak space punctuated with the rotted remains of dead trees. Most are little more than stumps, others lean sullenly over the blighted, black earth as if begging the land to finally take them.

  At the centre of the clearing, one tree still stands proud, seemingly unaffected by the blight that surrounds it. As you near, however, you realise that even this tree is fighting for its very survival. Much of its lower bark is rotted and black, and many of its winding roots are now dried and shrivelled husks, belching a foul green smoke into the air.

  You are about to turn and leave this sorrowful scene, when you hear a rumbling groan coming from within the tree. As you take a step back, you suddenly realise that the trunk is actually a wizened old face – a knobbly stump gives the appearance of a nose, a shabby growth of lichen forms a drooping moustache, and above the tree’s deep set eyes rests a splintered crown of wood.

  ‘Go! Leave this place,’ croaks the tree, its lichen moustache rustling up and down. ‘The land is lost. My brothers and sisters are gone . . . all gone!’

  Will you:

  Introduce yourself and ask the tree its name? — 292

  Ask about what happened? — 325

  Put the tree out of its misery and attack? — 331

  306

  You rush to attack Baron Greylock, while Eldias moves to intercept the vampiress. The burly warrior gives a blood-thirsty roar, then charges towards you, sweeping his mighty battleaxe through the air:

  Special abilities

  Vampire: You can use your stake and reflect abilities (if you have them) against this opponent.

  (Note: You cannot heal after this combat. You must continue this quest with the health that you have remaining. You may use potions and abilities to heal lost health while you are in combat.)

  If you defeat Baron Greylock turn to 385. If you lose the combat turn to 424.

  307

  Knuckles, as it turns out, was a former fighter in the arena, but was forced to retire after a few too many knocks to the head. Nevertheless, he hasn’t forgotten everything he learned out in the pit, so he offers to show you some of his best moves.

  As a gladiator you have the following abilities:

  Blood rage (mo): If you win two consecutive combat rounds and cause health damage in both rounds, you automatically go into a blood rage. This increases your brawn by 2 for the remainder of the combat.

  Head butt (co): Use this ability to prevent your opponent from rolling for damage. This automatically ends the combat round. You can only use head butt once per combat.

  When you are ready for your next fight, turn to 293. If you wish to tackle your next opponent at a later date, then make a note of the entry number and return to the quest map.

  308

  The blacksmith is relieved when he sees you running over to help. One of his adversaries turns and launches itself at you, its spindly body flying through the air. This time you are ready for it, and dodge aside as the creature goes crashing into a table. The blacksmith quickly dispatches the other vampire, driving a stake into its heart.

  ‘Take them to the stables,’ shouts the blacksmith. He nods towards the family, who are standing by the wall, paralysed by their fear. ‘It’s through that archway and down the hall. Hurry!’

  You are about to insist that he comes with you, but then you see another group of vampires racing towards you. The blacksmith heads them off, raising his crucifix. ‘Go!’ he shouts. ‘I can handle these!’

  As more screams echo throughout the hall, you hurry over to the panic-stricken family. The husband looks at you, his face drained of all colour. ‘Wha . . . what’s happening?’ he gasps.

  You grab him by the shoulder and shake him. ‘Come on! We’re moving. All of you come on!’ You push the man and his wife towards the archway, their young children clinging to their mother’s dress. You follow them into the passageway. Turn to 429.

  309

  Lowering your weapons, you turn to face the silent crowd of children. They flinch away, eyeing you with a newfound fear and respect. Afty pushes to the front and, with a humble-looking smile, holds out your money pouch.

  ‘He weren’t much cop anyway,’ he says, glancing down at the dead thief. ‘Probably did the boss a favour; she wanted to stick ’im in the back for a long time.’

  You take back your pouch and hook it back onto your belt (you may restore all your lost gold). As you turn to leave, the boy puts a hand out to stop you. ‘Hey, wait up,’ he says. ‘With Fargin gone, guess there’s a position vacant if yer want it. Could use an extra pair of hands, if yer know what I mean.’

  If you are a rogue you can now learn the pickpocket career (turn to 369). Otherwise, you politely decline the offer and leave (turn to 348).

  310

  The dirt path takes you through cool, dark forest, eventually bringing you out into a sunlit clearing. A number of tents have been set up around its perimeter – one of which houses a crude-looking laboratory. From inside, there is a series of bangs and flashes, followed by the acrid smell of ammonia and rotten eggs. A bald-headed man in white robes is hurrying from one workbench to another, adding chemicals and ingredients to a row of brass bowls, balanced over small magical flames.

  ‘Bah, that’s not right at all!’ snaps the man, peering at one of his concoctions through thick glass spectacles. ‘Tanner, get me more bronze filings from the crate.’

  A short blond-haired girl in brown overalls leaps to attention, and hurries over to a set of crates, where she begins picking through a selection of packets. ‘Are you sure we have some bronze left?’ she asks worriedly, almost disappearing inside one of the crates as she roots through the contents.

  The bald scientist is about to answer when he sees you approaching. He squints at you through his spectacles, the thick glass magnifying his eyes to twice their normal size. ‘Good day, I’m Totsvig Hellen. Can I help you?’ he asks, a little abruptly. ‘I am rather busy. Very important work.’

  Leave the camp – return to the map.

  Will you:

  Ask what he is doing here? — 504

  Ask about Jenlar Cornelius? — 334

  Ask if he has anything for sale? — 371

  Hand over a corrupted seed pod if you have one? — 516

  311

  The tinker turns the leather case to face you. To your surprise, you discover that the interior of the case is far bigger than its outward appearance suggests. Inside is a veritable treasure trove of armour and equipment.

  Rummaging through the selection, the following three items catch your eye. Each is available for 200 gold crowns.

  Ramrod helm

  Dark crystal

  Rune-forged greaves

  (head)

  (main hand: dagger)

  (feet)

  +1 speed +2 armour />
  +1 speed +2 brawn

  +2 speed +2 magic

  Ability: haste

  Ability: venom

  (requirement: rogue)

  Once you have made your purchases, you turn back to the tap room. Turn to 404.

  312

  You awake on a pallet bed, your head thumping with pain. Beside you, the wind and rain lash against a window, rattling its shutters. Then lightning flashes, casting a ghoulish glow over your austere surroundings.

  You find yourself in a small room, furnished with a simple wooden desk and high-backed chair. Opposite you, next to the door, is another pallet bed. A young man lies face-down on top of it, his clothes sodden with rain water.

  You swing your legs off the bed and sit up, wincing as fresh pain shoots across your brow. It is then that you notice the contents of your backpack, scattered across the floor. Quickly, you take a stock of your inventory. To your annoyance you discover that some of your equipment has been taken. (You must remove your main-hand and left-hand items from your hero sheet and make the necessary adjustments to your attributes. Keep a note of these, as they may be returned to you at a later date.) Thankfully, you still have all your backpack items and your clothing.

  Will you:

  Search the desk? — 279

  Try and wake the other traveller? — 291

  Leave the room? — 349

  313

  Legendary monster: Logan

  You are unprepared for the ambush. Your first warning is a rustle of leaves, off to the side of the track. Then you hear the twang of a bowstring. The arrow hurtles out of the undergrowth, slamming into your shoulder and sending you reeling back against a tree. As you try and move, a flash of agonising pain draws you up short. In alarm, you realise that the arrow has gone straight through your shoulder and pinned you to the tree.

  A man steps out from the forest, his body and face wrapped in bindings of black cloth. In his left hand he carries a curved long bow, its dark wood pulsing with a spectral light. As you watch through your pain, the assassin slowly unravels the cloth that hides his face.

  You give a sharp gasp of surprise. The man’s skin is a clear, translucent white – completely devoid of pigment – and his eyes are a crimson red, like droplets of blood.

  The albino tilts his head to one side, examining you closely. ‘I thought I had killed you once. Perhaps I should be calling you the cat, for it is evident you have more than just the one life.’

  You glance down at the shaft protruding from your shoulder. The black-feathered flight and smooth, dark wood are identical to the arrow that killed the young academy knight.

  ‘You! You killed the boy,’ you spit, angrily.

  ‘And you killed my men,’ snaps the assassin, dropping his bow to the ground and drawing two daggers from his belt. ‘You killed all of them. An impressive display of power, I have to say.’

  You grit your teeth, placing your free hand on the shaft of the arrow. In one swift movement, you snap it in two. Your screams echo through the forest . . . screams that fast become sobs of agony.

  ‘You have strength,’ says the assassin, his eyebrows raised. ‘You are not at all what you seem, are you?’

  Tears of pain stream down your face as you teeter forwards, slowly sliding your shoulder along the broken length of the shaft. At last, you tear yourself free, the force of the pain driving you to your knees.

  ‘I promised the knight . . . I would . . . avenge him.’

  ‘How gallant of you,’ the assassin sneers, twirling his daggers deftly in his hands. ‘Honour, chivalry . . . do you take me for a fool? The only code we live by is death! Do you know who I am?’

  You wipe the blood from your lips. ‘A killer. Nothing more.’

  ‘I am Logan. Some call me the Reaper.’ The albino starts towards you, his red eyes boring into your own. ‘I’m now going to finish what I started. I hate loose ends – sloppy work. This time, I will make sure I do the job properly.’

  You stumble back to your feet, blood coursing from your shoulder wound. Biting back the pain, you ready your weapons and prepare to fight. (You must begin this fight having already lost 4 health.)

  Special abilities

  Poisoned arrow: At the end of each combat round, you must automatically lose 2 health.

  If you defeat this expert assassin, turn to 394.

  314

  The hive queen and her bodyguards lie in curled heaps around you. However, there is little time to celebrate your victory as you can hear the frenzied hum of angry bees approaching. You make a quick search of the queen’s lair and discover the following items, which you may take:

  Amber-coated collar

  Bees’ wax

  Diaphanous wings

  (necklace)

  (backpack)

  (cloak)

  +1 armour

  Ability: heal

  This might come in useful one day

  +1 speed +1 magic

  You squeeze into one of the tunnels and crawl back out of the hive, thankfully avoiding any encounters. As you cling onto the side of the wall, you realise that you will have to make the jump again – to cross the pit. This will be a much harder challenge, as you don’t have the benefit of a run up beforehand.

  Speed

  Pit jump

  15

  If you make the jump, then you are able to return to the main cave and take the other tunnel north, turn 472. If you fail, then turn to 528.

  315

  Quest: The unicorn’s horn

  You are drawn into the forest by the smell of smoke and the cries of battle. Hurrying through the thick undergrowth, you finally emerge in a grassy clearing. Dotted around a campfire are a dozen dead goblins. Most are riddled with arrows, looking like they died before they even had chance to arm themselves. Others made it as far as drawing their swords and daggers, but from the surprised expressions, now frozen onto their faces, it appears they accomplished very little.

  The camp has already been ransacked and searched. As you wander through the scattered debris, you realise that the goblins must have been poachers. There are several half-broken wooden frames lying in the grass, with fresh animal skins still stretched across them.

  You notice a money purse on one of the goblin’s belts. You kneel down to take it, wondering why the attackers hadn’t bothered to loot the bodies. (You have gained 20 gold crowns.) As you stand, you feel a sharp point pressing into your neck.

  ‘One more move,’ growls a woman’s voice, ‘and you die!’

  From the edges of the clearing, you see figures start to appear from out of the forest. They are all female – clad in tunics of woven leaves and wildflowers. Their skin is the colour of the forest, mottled with patches of brown and grey. No wonder the goblins had no chance against them; the women are almost invisible as they stand against the forest backdrop. You count nearly thirty of them – each armed with a short bow and a quiver of green-fletched arrows.

  One of the women strides towards you, her bow held in one hand and a sword in the other. Unlike the others, she is wearing a long cloak of golden-coloured leaves. You guess she is their leader.

  ‘Why do you trespass here?’ she sneers, her amber eyes flicking to the weapons you are carrying. ‘Are you a hunter also?’

  Will you:

  Say that you are looking for Cornelius? — 363

  Ask why they attacked the goblins? — 395

  State that you can go where you please? — 381

  316

  The man grumbles something beneath his beard. ‘Yes, yes, if saving the life of a poor lassie ain’t enough for you then I’m sure I might have something about my person that’ll interest you.’ He twists his head and points to a pack laying some metres away in the dust. ‘Managed to save most of my belongings but my prize invention – my magic clockwork camera – fell into the rift. If you happen to come across it . . .’ He sighs wistfully, his eyes coming to rest on the jagged fissure. ‘Suppose it sounds odd for me to be talking about somethi
ng so trivial, especially at a time like this. But I got to tell you, twenty years of work went into that camera – found the plans in one of those elven pyramids. Could have made me rich.’ He shakes his head. ‘Humph! It’s probably lying in some dragon’s den now.’

  Turn to 538 to ask another question, or 526 to begin your quest.

  317

  You approach a door on your left. From the other side you can hear a multitude of voices, all seemingly talking at once. It sounds like a large gathering of people. With little to lose, you carefully lift up the door latch and push open the door.

  As you predicted, the room is full to bursting point. But where you had been expecting richly-dressed nobles, instead, you are presented with a rag-tag crowd of commoners. Some are dressed in little more than peasants’ clothing, others look like travellers, their cloaks and boots stained with mud and dirt. A family huddle together in one corner, the mother and father gazing at their opulent surroundings with the same wide-eyed amazement as their two young children.

  You move around the room warily, listening to snatches of conversation. One woman is gleefully telling her attentive listeners of how she was specially invited to the meal by the count himself.

  ‘I met him on the road, only today. I was so honoured when he asked me, I just didn’t know what to say.’

  Another gentlemen is explaining how his cart was set upon by wolves: ‘. . . then the count came and the wolves just left me alone. It was quite a relief, I can tell you. Thought I was a goner to be sure. Then he asked me to attend his ball. Well, I was so surprised I just nodded like a fool.’