Legion of Shadow

by Michael J. Ward

  When you have updated your hero sheet, return to the quest map.

  501

  You track the fleeing wreekin across the swamp, to a small settlement of mud huts on the banks of a stagnant lake. A crowd of the creatures have gathered outside one of the larger huts.

  As you approach, a pair of sentries hurry towards you, armed with spears. Bern doesn’t slow. Instead he raises his hands and summons roots of thorny vines to trap the sentries in place. ‘That is the last of my magic,’ he says, his face looking pale and drawn. ‘I hope we don’t face much more resistance this day.’

  Thankfully, the wreekin in the village are so intent on pushing and jostling each other to see into the mud hut, that they don’t even notice your arrival. As you make your way through the crowd, there are a few warbling cries of alarm, but when Bern draws his glowing sword and raises it high into the air, the wreekin cower away, covering their eyes. Most of them appear to be simple fishermen and hunters, unlike the fierce warriors that you fought in the swamp.

  Unhindered, you follow Bern into the hut. The single large room is dominated by a large pallet bed and sprawled on top of it is a giant toad, its brown-green skin glistening with moisture. From his size and appearance, you can only assume that this is the leader of the village – and he looks as though he is dying. From between his rubbery lips comes a moan of pain, as his bulging, glassy eyes roll back and forth in a feverish delirium.

  The wreekin in the headdress has already unwrapped his pack, revealing a glowing ivory horn. He now holds it over a bowl of steaming liquid, a knife held ready to begin cutting into it.

  ‘No! Wait!’ demands Bern, rushing forwards. He snatches the horn from the surprised wreekin’s grasp, and clutches it protectively to his chest. He speaks something in a guttural language. The wreekin answers, stabbing a finger towards his dying leader. Their exchange continues for some minutes, before the wreekin finally appears to concede. Bern walks over to the bowl, rolling up his sleeves.

  ‘They took the horn for its magical properties,’ he says to you. ‘Their leader has a fever. He could die unless he gets a cure. It looks to me like a rare strain of the marsh fever. I can cure it, I think – but I will need your help.’ Turn to 523.

  502

  The stones bob and tilt dangerously as you hop across them to reach the island. As you get closer, there are shrieks from the fire sprites, who stop their dance and turn to eye you – their flaming bodies sparking angrily. Behind them, the giant gives a thunderous grunt of displeasure. The immense beast stands over three hundred metres tall – its conical head of flames almost lost from sight amongst the clouds of smoke and steam. The heat from its body is like a raging furnace, drawing you to a halt at the edge of the island, as you feel it burning your exposed skin.

  This would be a mighty opponent to battle, but one that is likely to be far beyond your powers to defeat. If you do not wish to battle this foe yet, make a note of this entry number and return here at any time during Act 2 when you feel up to the challenge. If you wish to fight the giant, turn to 738. Otherwise, you head back to the previous island. Turn to 439.

  503

  You expertly swing yourself to the side, grabbing hold of stronger roots as the previous ones crumble to rotted dust. With a final burst of speed, you clamber up the tangle of roots and pull yourself up onto the ledge.

  The first thing that hits you is the stench – a sickly aroma of death and decay. All along the ledge, the dirt is littered with bones. In alarm, you notice that several look distinctly human. As you proceed along the ledge, weaving between the thick gnarly roots, you spy a cave opening. Outside, there are more gnawed bones and the rotting carcasses of several animals.

  Will you:

  Enter the cave? — 490

  Climb back down to the main cavern? — 485

  504

  ‘I work for the Royal Botany Society,’ explains Totsvig, clearly looking delighted to be able to talk about his work. ‘I moved here with my team two weeks ago to study the local flora and fauna.’

  He lifts up one of his copper bowls, which contains tiny fragments of black rock. ‘A meteorite hit down here, just south of the forest,’ he says, poking at the contents. ‘The devastation was fairly significant, but of greater concern to the society are the changes that have been occurring since. I’ve observed and recorded several cases of mutations. The rock appears to have brought with it some kind of reactive agent. In all the areas where we have found traces of the rock, we have seen the localised wildlife changing – and not for the better. One of my assistants is currently investigating a hotspot to the west. In fact, I’m starting to grow a little concerned. She should have been back by now, although she is easily distracted from her studies.’

  Will you:

  Offer to help (requirement: mage)? — 401

  Continue to question Totsvig? — 310

  505

  Impressive, very impressive,’ grins the count. With a swish of his cloak, he unsheathes his bright-bladed rapier. ‘It’s time we finished this,’ he hisses, his fanged teeth gleaming beneath his golden mask. ‘It will be a fine pleasure to drink your blood!’

  At last, it is time to face the count – a powerful vampire lord:

  Special abilities

  Blood drinker: If the count rolls afor damage, his fangs latch onto your throat and he sucks your blood! He can immediately roll an extra die for damage. If he successfully bites you, he also restores 2 lost health.

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

  If you defeat the count, turn to 487. If you lose the combat, turn to 424.

  506

  You defeat the scorpion, dodging its twitching tail as the giant creature crashes to the ground, dead. If you wish, you may now take one of the following items:

  Dark malice

  Scorpion stinger

  Marsh pendant

  (main hand: spear)

  (main hand: dagger)

  (necklace)

  +2 speed +3 brawn

  +2 speed +1 brawn

  +1 magic +1 armour

  Ability: impale

  Ability: venom

  Ability: steadfast

  (requirement: warrior)

  (requirement: rogue)

  Having tarried here longer than you intended, you leave the ruins and continue your journey through the swamp. Turn to 304.

  507

  The key fits the lock perfectly. You twist it and unlock the box, eagerly flipping open the lid as your mind races with images of all the possible treasures you might find inside. Your face drops, however, when you discover that the box is empty – except for another small key, resting within a velvet-lined cavity. This one is made from gold, inlaid with silver runes. If you wish to take the rune key then make a note of it on your hero sheet (it does not take up backpack space). After shaking the chest repeatedly, in the hope that something more interesting might fall out, you give up on it and throw it aside, turning your attention back to the chamber. Turn to 215.

  508

  You chop up the purple worm until there is nothing remaining but a heap of sliced worm meat. The woman lowers her short sword, still trembling from her ordeal.

  ‘Thank you,’ she says, sheathing her blade. ‘I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come along. I am Shay Blackwell, a researcher from the Botany Society.’ She walks over and retrieves her pack, which you notice has several glass bottles and vials attached to it.

  Shay takes a small knife from her belt and cuts a chunk out of the nearest tree root. She turns it around thoughtfully in her hands. ‘I really don’t understand it. These are elder roots, and as such they should be positively full of magic. Look, it isn’t healing at all.’ She puts her fingers in the fresh cut that she has made. ‘Something has just simply sucked all the life out of it. But what . . .?’

  Her eyes settle on the worm remains. ‘The creatures here seem changed. My tutor, Totsvig Hellen, thinks it i
s the sky rock. It dropped down in the forest just over a month ago. Since then, very peculiar things have been happening. The wildlife has been mutating . . . becoming much more aggressive.’

  She deposits the root sample into one of her bottles, then straps on her pack. When your eyes finally meet again, the woman gives you an awkward smile. ‘I don’t suppose . . . well, now that you’re here, you would mind accompanying me deeper into the caves? As you can see, I am no fighter. I could use your protection.’

  Will you:

  Accept the offer? — 353

  Demand a fee for your service? — 347

  509

  While Solandris and the eagle hold the giant’s attention, you slice, cut and blast away at its enormous legs. After a tiring battle, the colossal creature finally gives a thunderous roar of pain and then begins to topple forwards. In horror, you realise that you are standing directly beneath it and, without any chance of moving aside quickly enough, you are going to be squashed!

  Suddenly, you feel a rush of wind as something grabs your shoulders and lifts you up out of the water, just as the giant smashes down into the swamp, sending a tidal wave of mud and weed rushing out across the mangroves.

  ‘I would say that was good-timing on two accounts,’ grins Solandris as her eagle drops you beside the body of the defeated giant. To your surprise, you notice several items of treasure tangled up in the monster’s vines and roots. You may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:

  Vigilant chestguard

  Blackout

  Sparkcraft mantle

  (chest)

  (left hand: mace)

  (cloak)

  +1 speed +3 armour

  +2 speed +2 brawn

  +2 speed +2 magic

  (requirement: warrior)

  Ability: stun

  Ability: life spark

  (requirement: mage)

  If you have Lorinwold’s Field Guide to Roots, Herbs and Leaves then you also find 1 thimble sage, 1 taponica bulb and 1 black orchid growing on the giant’s body. Make a note of the herbs on your hero sheet, then turn to 406.

  510

  You swim through the blasted hole, emerging in a square chamber with a vertical shaft in the middle of its floor. As you make your way towards the shaft, you see something move at the corner of your vision. Treading water, you twist around to see an immense sea creature with a body of writhing tentacles, detach itself from the wall. It propels itself towards you, using its tentacles to push through the water. When it is almost upon you, it swings around, extending its suckered limbs to grab hold of you. You furiously bat them away, aware that they are trying to pull you in closer to the creature’s parrot-like beak. In a swirl of air bubbles and squirming tentacles, you quickly draw your weapons and prepare to fight:

  Special abilities

  Ink bombs: If your hero gets awhen rolling for attack speed, they are hit by an ink bomb. This temporarily blinds your hero, causing them to lose the round. You cannot use any abilities (other than passive abilities) until the start of the next combat round. You may re-roll dice if you have an ability that lets you do so.

  If you defeat the Kalimari, turn to 716.

  511

  ‘They say it was a sky rock,’ says the explorer. ‘Must have hit down here with quite a force. Caused that rift to appear and, since then, all kinds of things been spilling out of the earth.’ He leans forward, grunting as he tries to reposition himself into a more comfortable position. ‘Fool that I am, I thought I’d take a closer look – you know, see what was happening.’ He shakes his head. ‘Wasn’t expecting to get blasted out of the sky.’

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

  512

  You examine the treasure map, which consists of a selection of directions and measurements:

  When you have finished viewing the map, return to your previous entry number.

  513

  The strange creature explodes, releasing whirling tendrils of shadow magic into the air. Without thinking, you raise your arm and pull back your sleeve, revealing your branded mark. The three snakes writhe and twist beneath your skin, as if suddenly alive. Mesmerised, you watch as the floating shadow magic starts to spiral towards them, like a moth to a flame.

  Will you:

  Absorb the shadow magic? — 458

  Quickly conceal your mark? — 444

  514

  You are not fast enough to secure another handhold. The roots you are holding onto break apart, sending you tumbling down the face of the wall to land in a bruised heap back in the cave.

  The lower roots are now broken, making the ledge unreachable.

  Will you:

  Take the tunnel north? — 472

  Take the tunnel east? — 524

  515

  You return to the grand hall where Spink is tending to the wounded survivors. From your original group there is only a handful remaining. One of them is the blacksmith, who grins and waves at you, his face and hair caked in matted blood and vampire dust.

  If you have any of Spink’s items still on your person, you can hand them back as they will be of no further use. If you wish, you may now retrieve your original main-hand and left-hand equipment before leaving the castle. Return to the quest map.

  516

  ‘Oh, what a splendid specimen!’ Totsvig takes the seed pod from you and carefully hands it over to his assistant, Tanner. ‘Put this beauty in some of the special compost, will you? – the one with the ogre dung in it. I can’t wait to observe the results!’ Tanner nods obediently, carrying the pod over to one of the tents where a number of odd-looking plants are growing inside clay tubs.

  ‘Thank you for making such a valuable contribution to the Botany Society,’ grins Totsvig. ‘Please, take one of these as a token of our appreciation.’

  You may choose one of the following rewards:

  Gardener’s gloves

  Field kit

  Ogre dung compote (2 uses)

  (gloves)

  (backpack)

  (backpack)

  +1 speed +2 armour

  Can hold two potions inside

  Use any time in combat to raise your magic by 2 for one combat round

  Ability: thorns

  Once you have made your choice and updated your hero sheet, you can talk to Totsvig further (turn to 310), or return to the quest map.

  517

  The creature gives a wet, gurgling cry as its bloated body crashes to the ground. Its legs kick and squirm for several seconds, then with a final trembling shudder, they curl up and lie still.

  Congratulations – you have defeated Wormwood. You may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:

  Ridgeback

  Black fang

  yrm crest

  (shield)

  (main hand: sword)

  (head)

  +1 speed +2 armour

  +1 speed +2 brawn

  +1 magic +2 armour

  Ability: slam

  Ability: parry

  (requirement: warrior)

  You contemplate searching the creature’s cave, but the smell is so overpowering that you are forced back out onto the ledge. Keen to get away from the foul reek of decay, you clamber back down the trailing roots, to the cavern below.

  Will you:

  Take the tunnel north? — 472

  Take the tunnel east? — 524

  518

  The forest whips past you in a blur of brown and green, as you race at breakneck speed through the undergrowth. Bern is at your side, matching you step for step as he leaps and bounds over logs and fallen branches. Incredibly, despite the unnatural speed that you are both travelling at, he appears to be studying his surroundings with a keen eye. He gestures to the left, veering off in that direction in a blazing trail of glittering light. You follow suit, the tight-press of trees whipping past you as the wind roars in your ears.

  Within seconds the blurred wall of trees is gone, replaced by a wide expans
e of boggy marshland. Your feet skim the surface of the water as you hurtle onwards, across the grey-green swamp. Eventually, you begin to slow; your feet sinking deeper and deeper into the brackish water. Soon you are wading through it, upto your knees, Bern only a few metres ahead of you.

  ‘That powder will have helped us close the distance,’ he says, surveying the featureless landscape. ‘Over here. Come on.’ He points to a swelling of hills, that rise up like some hump-backed creature from the scrubby wetlands.

  Arriving atop the hill, you spot your prey. A number of creatures, that look like man-like frogs in reed skirts, are scurrying across the marsh. One of them is wearing a headdress made from animal bones. Across his back is slung a palm-leaf sack.

  ‘There they are,’ says Bern. He loosens his sword in his scabbard. ‘I do not imagine they will give up the horn without a fight. Are you ready?’

  You nod, readying your own weapons. Then, together, you race after the fleeing wreekin. Turn to 534.

  519

  You pass through the opening, to find yourself in a rectangular, stone-carved chamber.

  All its surfaces are perfectly smooth; its floor covered in a mosaic of tiles. You notice that several of the tiles have cracked and buckled, where straggly weeds have forced themselves up out of the earth. If you have Lorinwold’s Field Guide to Roots, Herbs and Leaves then you may pick 2 bramble thorn and 1 fire grass from this area. (Make a note of the herbs on your hero sheet.)